By Evelyn ARTHUR
The Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has celebrated its 25-year anniversary with a public lecture on navigating the future through innovation and excellence in public service.
The Silver Jubilee was marked at the University of Ghana’s Cedi Conference Hall, with participation from allied public sector officials and industry stakeholders. This year’s celebrations also served as an opportunity to reflect on the progress of the DVLA from a state agency plagued by allegations of corruption and inefficiency to a reformed institution thriving on the basis of digitization.
The Chief Executive Officer of DVLA, Kwasi Agyeman Busia, attributed the success of his outfit to deliberate strategizing and a shared commitment to excellence.
“Today, we stand as a budding beacon of integrity and efficiency in public service. Through the relentless commitment to our strategic plan foundational principles of people process, and technology supported with transparency, accountability, and service excellence, DVLA has undergone a remarkable evolution technology” he noted.
His thoughts were corroborated by other speakers, who were full of praise for the leadership role DVLA has assumed, urging other public service organizations to emulate the Authority.
1st Deputy Speaker of Parliament and a Former CEO of DVLA, Joseph Osei Owusu said “when I assumed office in 2002, the total staff strength was 202 and out of the 202 there were only two graduates implying that less than 1% of the staff were graduates. Today, I’m reliably informed that over 90% of the 740 hardworking staff are graduates of various qualifications and professional accreditations.”
Senior Presidential Advisor, Yaw Osafo Marfo, who is also the special guest of honour disclosed is soliciting financial support for some public institutions, including DVLA.
“I have just started a second discussion with the World Bank to finance some public institutions and the first institution I mentioned for a second phase of support was DVLA. Because of my own experience with them, I mentioned specifically two institutions DVLA and the Passport Office. These institutions have had a remarkable change which has reflected on their service to the Ghanaian community”, he disclosed.
Some successes chalked up over recent years at DVLA include the introduction of the Smart Card Driver’s License, the Enhanced Driver License Application System, the rollout of Digital Transport and Support Systems (DTSS), the Electronic Vehicle Registration System, and the digitization of manual vehicle records, among others.
