The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has clarified media reports suggesting its plans to establish a full-scale driver licensing operation in selected foreign countries, describing such development as “misleading media headlines.”
According to the Authority, through an arrangement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it has agreed to collaborate with Ghana’s embassies globally to provide selected services.
These services, it said, include the International Driver’s Permit and Driver’s Licence Renewal to qualified Ghanaian citizens domiciled in other countries.
In a statement, the DVLA indicated the pilot period will be undertaken in the United States of America, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, and the High Commission of the United Kingdom.
“Once the processing is done, the Authority would then return the processed documents to the various Embassies for pick-up by the applicants,” the statement stated as part of the implementation plan to provide training to Embassy staff to do verification of documents.
DVLA explained that the operation does not imply posting its domestic staff to work at Embassies in the aforementioned countries, as the news headlines sought to portray.
According to the Authority, its management is committed to serving the interests of Ghanaians and has consistently pursued an agenda to place the services of the Authority closer to the people to minimize defaults as well as promote compliance.
It encouraged the media and individuals who require clarity or information on the operations of the DVLA to approach the Corporate Affairs Department for such details to avoid what it described as “erroneous reportage.”
Source: Christabel Opare
