The Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Mr Julius Neequaye Kotey, has disclosed plans to formalise the activities of the informal agents (Goro boys) who assist motorists with vehicle registration and licensing.
He said the move would allow the DVLA to register them as official agents, regulate their charges, and prevent them from taking undue advantage of clients.
Speaking on Channel One television on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, Mr Kotey explained that the proposal was designed to integrate the agents into the formal system without making them staff of the DVLA.
“I made a proposal to formalise their work and bring them on board, not as DVLA staff, but so that we can regulate what they charge,” he said.
Mr Kotey stressed that not all “Goro boys” were involved in fraudulent activities. “Not all Goro boys do fake work. Some do proper transactions. Those are the ones we will deal with. They know those who engage in fake activities, and we will go after them,” he added.
The initiative comes as part of wider reforms at the DVLA, including plans to introduce chip-enabled plastic number plates that will allow vehicle tracking, identification and toll collection.
According to Mr Kotey, the plastic plates would replace the current ones, embedding chips that can be read remotely to provide vehicle details to authorised officers.
“We propose changing all Ghana plates to plastic so that a chip can be embedded in them. The system will be accessible only to the police and DVLA compliance officers,” he stated.
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He added that the chips could also make it possible for annual toll payments to be collected during roadworthy renewals. While no rollout date has been set, he described the proposal as “highly possible,” noting that it is under consideration by the relevant committees.
The DVLA boss said the reforms were also aimed at boosting revenue and improving road safety for the public.
He cited a 57 per cent rise in revenue during his first quarter in office, beginning January 23, 2025, which he attributed to measures such as cracking down on plate theft at the ports and introducing trackable DP stickers.
Mr Kotey also spoke about the DVLA’s role in helping to curb illegal mining.
He explained that excavators imported through the ports are now registered to trace their owners, with more than 1,000 machines currently impounded awaiting clearance.
For ordinary motorists, Mr Kotey defended roadside checks carried out by DVLA staff, insisting that the GH¢225 fine for offences such as expired licences or fake fire extinguishers is lawful and receipts are issued for every payment.
