The acting chief executive officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey, has exposed a massive discrepancy in the country’s number plate issuance system, suggesting thousands of plates are being stolen monthly at the ports.
Speaking on Ghanakasa morning show with Sandra Akua Darkoa Koranteng popularly known as Akua Sonto on Kasapa 102.5 fm, Mr.Kotey stated that upon assuming office and reviewing DVLA’s two-year report, he noticed a troubling discrepancy. While DVLA issues between 1,800 and 2,000 plates monthly for newly registered Plates, customs data shows that approximately 6,000 vehicles are cleared through the ports each month.
“This means almost 3,000 vehicles are unaccounted for in our system—indicating a possible large-scale theft of number plates,” Mr. Kotey said.
According to him, 12 private companies are currently responsible for issuing number plates at the port. In February, Mr.Kotey personally visited these companies, interrogated their operations, and issued stern warnings.
“I told them I would be installing surveillance cameras and holding people accountable,” he disclosed. That month, a dramatic change was observed—5,000 number plates were brought forward, a spike he believes resulted directly from his intervention.
Despite the improvement, Mr. Kotey emphasized that he has yet to identify those behind the thefts but remains committed to uncovering the truth and implementing reforms to secure the system.