The Vehicle Embossment Association of Ghana (VEMAG) has filed an injunction at the High Court in Accra seeking to restrain the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) from rolling out digital or new vehicle number plates from January 2026.
The suit, filed on Monday, December 22, 2025, by BEMENCO Embossment Ltd and 26 other plaintiffs—all members of VEMAG—asks the court to stop the DVLA from introducing digitalised plates or any new registration system until the case is fully determined.
VEMAG is challenging the DVLA’s decision to award both the manufacture and embossment contracts to a single entity, Dr. Nyarko Esumadu Appiah of Original Manufacturing and Embossment (Daasebre), calling it unprecedented and contrary to established practice. The association also claims the DVLA still owes members arrears for plates already produced.
The plaintiffs argued that approvals granted by the DVLA over the past three decades, together with the consistent conduct of both parties, constitute an enforceable contract for embossing vehicle plates.
Despite no revocation of these approvals, the DVLA has allegedly refused to allocate blank registration plates for the 2026 production cycle, creating uncertainty and disrupting the established process.
VEMAG also accused the DVLA of lacking transparency in rolling out digital plates, citing unfulfilled consultation promises and a sole-sourced contract that violates the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).
The association described the decision as illegal, discriminatory, and an abuse of administrative authority, particularly against Ghanaian-owned embossing companies that have invested heavily in the sector.
The plaintiffs warned that the DVLA’s actions could have significant socio-economic consequences. VEMAG members collectively employ over 3,000 workers nationwide, and abruptly disengaging them could threaten livelihoods. Public vehicle registration could also be disrupted if the DVLA cannot issue plates at the start of the year.
VEMAG noted that members invested in specialised embossment equipment costing between GH¢70,000 and GH¢1 million per unit, and have historically pre-financed plate production before receiving payment from the DVLA.
The association is seeking an order compelling the DVLA to continue engaging licensed embossers in 2026 and beyond, along with legal costs and any other relief the court deems fit.
