BEMENCO Embossment Limited has filed a suit at the High Court in Accra against the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), challenging what it describes as an unlawful attempt to revoke a valid contract for the embossment of vehicle number plates.

The company is suing on behalf of 27 of its members, who have provided embossment services to the DVLA for over three decades. According to the plaintiffs, the DVLA has awarded an existing contract involving the manufacture and embossment of vehicle number plates to Dr Nyarko Esumadu Appiah of Original Manufacturing and Embossment, despite a subsisting agreement between the plaintiffs and the DVLA.

BEMENCO contends that the DVLA plans to introduce digitalised vehicle number plates in January 2026 but has failed to engage its members in the process. The plaintiffs argue that embossment of 2026 number plates should have commenced in October 2025, with blank plates allocated to them for embossment and submission to the DVLA by December 2025. However, they claim the DVLA has refused or failed to release the plates.

The plaintiffs describe the DVLA’s actions as unfair, unreasonable, and an abuse of administrative authority. They warn that unless restrained by the court, the decision could result in irreparable harm to about 3,000 workers and cause significant financial losses to their businesses.

As part of the reliefs being sought, BEMENCO is asking the court to declare that the DVLA’s refusal to allocate blank registration plates for 2026 is unlawful and without legal basis. The plaintiffs also want the court to rule that the decision breaches the existing contract between their members and the DVLA.

In addition, they are seeking a declaration that the award of the manufacturing and embossment contract to Dr Nyarko Esumadu Appiah of Original Embossment, also known as Daasebre, is null, void, and of no legal effect.

The plaintiffs are further requesting an order compelling the DVLA to engage their members to emboss vehicle number plates for 2026 and subsequent years. They are also asking for costs, including solicitor’s fees, and any additional relief the court may consider appropriate.

BEMENCO argues that for more than 30 years, the DVLA has relied on its members for embossment services, with manufacturing and embossment contracts traditionally awarded separately to avoid conflicts of interest. It maintains that the decision to bypass 46 companies and sole proprietors in favour of a single individual is illegal and discriminatory.

The plaintiffs also allege that the DVLA failed to advertise for tenders or obtain approval from the Public Procurement Authority to sole-source the contracts, in violation of Ghana’s Public Procurement Act, 2003.

While expressing support for the introduction of digitalised number plates, BEMENCO has suggested that a six-month suspension of the rollout would allow for proper planning, training, and meaningful stakeholder engagement to ensure a smooth transition.