The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has defended a new service rollout that is targeted at the diaspora after what it called false headlines implied that it was getting ready to send employees to work permanently in Ghana’s embassies overseas.
The Authority stated in a forceful correction that it had noticed “misleading news headlines over the extended services of DVLA to selected foreign countries,” which prompted management to correct the information.
The DVLA clarified that it has partnered with the Foreign Affairs Ministry to expedite access to specific services for Ghanaians residing abroad, as opposed to transferring its activities abroad.
“For clarity, the DVLA, through an arrangement with the Foreign Affairs Ministry has agreed to collaborate with Ghana’s Embassies across the globe to provide selected services including International Driver’s Permit and Driver’s Licence Renewal to qualified Ghanaian citizens domiciled in other countries,” the statement said.
The program, which starts with a trial program, will be implemented in the United States, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom High Commission.
The goal of the change is to lessen the administrative load on diaspora candidates who now have to go back home or rely on middlemen to finish some licensing procedures.
The Authority’s concept calls for embassy employees, not DVLA officers, to be educated in document verification prior to sending applications to Ghana for processing.
“As part of the implementation plan, the DVLA will provide training to Embassy staff to do verification of documents and forward same to DVLA for processing. Once the processing is done, the Authority would then return the processed documents to the various Embassies for pick-up by the applicants,” the notice stessed.
The management flatly rejected any idea that its officers would be stationed overseas.
As the press headlines attempted to suggest, “this operation does not in any way imply that the DVLA would post its domestic staff to work at Embassies in the aforementioned countries.”
The explanation highlights the Authority’s larger reform plan, which it claims is centred on digitising and decentralising services to increase compliance and lower default rates.
The statement further stated that the DVLA’s management is dedicated to serving the interests of Ghanaians and has continuously worked to bring the Authority’s services closer to the public in order to reduce defaults and encourage compliance.
The DVLA also took the opportunity to warn media outlets against speculative reporting, recommending direct contact with its Corporate Affairs Department for verification before publication.
“We want to reiterate that the Authority practices an open-door policy and encourages 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 such misleading reportage.”
Source: newsthemegh.com