By Ashiadey Dotse
The Vehicle Embossment Association of Ghana (VEMAG) has gone to court to stop the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) from introducing a new digital vehicle number plate system.
The association has filed an injunction at the High Court in Accra to prevent the rollout of the new system, which is expected to begin in January 2026.
The case was filed on Monday, December 22, 2025, by BEMENCO Embossment Ltd and 26 other VEMAG members.
VEMAG is asking the court to stop the DVLA from changing the current system for manufacturing and embossing vehicle number plates. The association wants the DVLA to continue working with licensed embossers under the existing arrangement.
According to VEMAG, the DVLA has awarded both the manufacturing and embossment of number plates to a single company, Original Manufacturing and Embossment, owned by Dr. Nyarko Esumadu Appiah, also known as Daasebre. The association says this move is unusual and goes against long-standing practic
VEMAG argues that the approvals given to licensed embossers over the past 30 years form a valid contract, which the DVLA has not officially cancelled.
The association also claims that the DVLA did not advertise the contract or seek approval from the Public Procurement Authority, as required by law. It says this action breaches the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).
VEMAG describes the DVLA’s decision as illegal and discriminatory, adding that many Ghanaian-owned embossing companies have invested heavily in the business.
The association warned that the new system could affect jobs, as its members employ more than 3,000 workers across the country. It also raised concerns that vehicle registration and number plate issuance could be disrupted at the beginning of the year.
VEMAG further explained that its members were made to buy expensive embossing machines, costing between GH¢70,000 and GH¢1 million, and often paid upfront to produce plates before receiving payment from the DVLA.
In its suit, VEMAG is asking the court to stop the new number plate system, order the DVLA to continue working with licensed embossers from 2026 onwards, and award legal costs.
