The Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Mr. Julius Neequaye Kotey, has disclosed that the introduction of the Drive from Port (DP) sticker initiative has saved the state over GH¢8 million that would otherwise have been lost through revenue leakages.
In an interview with journalist Saddick Adams on Angel FM, Mr. Kotey revealed that the implementation of the DP sticker policy was initially met with strong resistance from individuals who had been profiting from the previous system.
“When I started this thing, a gentleman came to me I don’t even know where he came from or whether it was a trap or not and he brought GH¢4 million to my office for us to start the DP sticker,” Mr. Kotey recounted.
“They came to my office and begged me not to roll out the DP sticker. They said the plate is what they get their money from. And I was like, they know they are stealing from the country,” he said.
Responding to a question from the host on why he did not cause the arrest of those individuals, the DVLA boss explained that the agency’s reputation at the time was already under public scrutiny.
“Sincerely, the name of DVLA wasn’t good,” he admitted. “Therefore, for anyone to bring this out, what does it say to you? Then you are further going to tarnish the image of the authority you want to change. So I just said, please, I am sorry. And that was what motivated me the more to sign for the regulation.”
Mr. Kotey further disclosed that since the introduction of the DP stickers, the Authority has recorded a notable improvement in revenue. “In the first quarter, we have increased revenue by 57 per cent. So now, the GH¢8 million that these people were making goes directly to the government,” he noted.
The Drive from Port (DP) initiative was introduced by the DVLA on August 1st, 2025, to ensure transparency in the registration of vehicles imported into Ghana, curb revenue leakages, and promote accountability in the vehicle licensing process.
This means that vehicles cleared from ports like Tema and Takoradi will no longer receive the traditional aluminium DP plates. Instead, they’ll be issued digitally generated stickers that serve as temporary registration identifiers.
The new system, which links customs clearance with vehicle insurance verification, aims to streamline port operations, speed up registration processes, and curb fraudulent activities.
