The Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey, has explained the rationale behind the Authority’s decision to introduce a digital vehicle number plate system and phase out the embossment of number plates.
The planned rollout of the digital system is currently the subject of a court case, with parties involved raising legal concerns over the procurement process.
Speaking in an interview on Sunday, January 25, 2026, Mr Kotey said the existing embossment system poses security challenges, particularly in cases where vehicles are used to commit crimes such as armed robbery.
He explained that during investigations, security agencies often request vehicle information from the DVLA.
However, the Authority is sometimes unable to provide accurate or timely details because number plates are produced by multiple private embossment companies, making effective tracking difficult.
According to Mr Kotey, the digital number plate system is intended to close these gaps and strengthen vehicle identification and security.
“It’s an affront to the works of DVLA that sometimes the cars are on the streets with number plates but we don’t have information on them. So one may ask how? Because there are about 154 companies that do embossment of number plates and they are scattered all over the place,” he stated.
He argued that these embossment companies barely conduct background searches on vehicles before registering them, leading to confusion and a gap in the system.
“You go there, you give them the number, they don’t do any background checks, they don’t request for any documentation, all they do is that they want money so they just emboss the number they want for you,” he lamented.
Providing more details about the new system, he said it will allow the Authority to provide chip-embedded number plates for vehicle users which will help identify every owner of a vehicle and in whose name the vehicle was registered.
“When we go into office I announced on a show that the DVLA is going to change the number plates, secondly, we want to award the contract of number plates to VALCO and also take off the year of registration off the number plates then make it RF-ID chip-embedded number plates where there will be a scanning device with security operatives and they can scan to know who is driving the car or who registered the car,” he added.
The DVLA is involved in a significant High Court case regarding the rollout of a new digital vehicle number plate system.
The suit was filed by the Vehicle Embossment Association of Ghana (VEMAG), representing 26 licensed companies (including BEMENCO Embossment Ltd), against the DVLA.
On January 23, 2026, the court granted an application by Original Manufacturers and Embossment Company Limited (OMEL), the single company contracted by the DVLA to produce the new plates to join the suit as a defendant.
They allege that the DVLA’s decision to award manufacturing and embossment rights to a single company is illegal, discriminatory, and a breach of procurement laws.
They argue that this move sidelines existing licensed embossers who have invested heavily in specialized equipment (costing between GH¢70,000 and GH¢1 million per unit).
The Authority maintains that the digital system is within its statutory mandate to improve vehicle identification and security.
They argue the transition is necessary to reclaim lost revenue and prevent the “recycling” of temporary plates.
The court previously ordered the DVLA to maintain the existing number plate system pending the determination of the case.
The High Court in Accra has adjourned the case to February 6, 2026, for further proceedings following the joinder of the new defendant.
TAGGED:Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA)Julius Neequaye KoteyNumber Plate
SOURCES:The Ghana Report
