The Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey, has reacted strongly to a court injunction filed by members of the Vehicle Embossment Association of Ghana (VEMAG) seeking to halt the rollout of a new digital vehicle number plate registration system scheduled to begin in January 2026.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, December 24, Mr Kotey said he was surprised by the legal action, particularly given that the company awarded the contract had indicated its readiness to work collaboratively with all stakeholders, including existing embossment companies.
“The one who won the contract is saying that he is willing to welcome the people coming to the IFRD, and those who never won the contract have rather gone to court. So I just can’t fathom what is going on,” he stated.
Mr Kotey insisted that the DVLA followed due process in awarding the contract and said the Authority is fully prepared to defend its decision in court.
“The one who won has opened his arms, and those who never won it have rather gone to court. We will meet them in court,” he added.
The comments follow an injunction application filed at the High Court in Accra by BEMENCO Embossment Ltd and 26 other companies, all members of VEMAG. The applicants are seeking to restrain the DVLA from introducing digitalised vehicle number plates or implementing any new vehicle registration system from January 2026.
According to the plaintiffs, the DVLA’s decision to award both the manufacture and embossment of number plates to a single company departs from long-standing practice and allegedly violates existing contractual arrangements with licensed embossers.
Background information indicates that the proposed system is intended to replace the current decentralised embossment arrangement with a fully digitalised process, aimed at improving efficiency, security, and traceability in vehicle registration nationwide.
Despite the legal challenge, Mr Kotey maintained that the reforms are necessary and in the public interest, stressing that while the DVLA remains open to engagement, it will not abandon efforts to modernise Ghana’s vehicle registration regime.
The matter is expected to be determined by the courts as the DVLA prepares for the planned January 2026 rollout.
