More than 130 vehicles suspected of being cloned or connected to duty evasion have been found and seized thanks to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority’s (DVLA) recently implemented vehicle inspection technology.
Julius Neequaye Kotey, the DVLA’s chief executive officer (CEO), stated that the action is a component of the authority’s larger digital service transformation plan, which aims to enhance vehicle registration procedures and combat fraudulent activity.
In an exclusive interview with JoyNews’ The Pulse on Friday, July 24, Mr. Kotey clarified that the digital transformation effort is a collection of measures aimed at modernising DVLA operations rather than a single project.
He stated that the installation of cloning detecting equipment, which allow the authorities to confirm the legitimacy of car chassis numbers and track the history of vehicles prior to registration, is one of the major interventions.
He claims that the devices can determine whether a car’s chassis number has been changed or copied, as well as offer details about the car’s past, including whether it has been in collisions.
“The machine now gives us the history of the chassis number from the manufacturer to date. Whether the car has been involved in an accident or not, it gives us all these,” he stated.
According to Mr. Kotey, some people have taken advantage of holes in the vehicle registration system by registering cars that haven’t paid their taxes by using falsified or copied customs paperwork.
According to him, some criminals work with people in the system to get copies of customs paperwork, which are then used to duplicate the chassis numbers of cars that haven’t paid taxes.
“They use that photocopy, that chassis number on it, to clone the car that has not paid duty and come and register it first. When you, the original owner, now come to us, it becomes problematic,” he clarified.
According to the DVLA CEO, over 130 vehicles have been stopped and turned over to the Customs Division for additional action since the detecting technology was put into place approximately a month ago.
He continued by saying that the DVLA and Customs now have a flexible arrangement that permits owners of impacted vehicles to regularise their duty payments; however, this arrangement will expire once the entire digital system is online.
Mr. Kotey issued a warning to car owners who have not paid the necessary fees to regularise their status, threatening to prosecute repeat offenders.
“Henceforth, when we arrest you, we’ll prosecute you. Because it’s a criminal offence,” he declared, “that level of amnesty is over.”
According to the DVLA, the ongoing digital reforms are intended to lower fraud, increase transparency, and guarantee that only vehicles with the appropriate documentation are registered in Ghana.
Source: newsthemegh.com