The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), has taken delivery of Information Technology (IT) equipment and accessories worth more than US$1.5 million to further enhance service delivery.
Presented by the Public Sector Reform Secretariat (PSRS), the equipment and accessories are aimed at modernising DVLA branches across the country as well as supporting the Tertiary Drive and DVLA Express Mobile Service (DEMOBS) initiatives.
They include 215 desktops, 60 laptops, 106 printers, 60 network switches, 54 card readers, 315 UPS, 75 digital cameras, 75 tripod stands, 66 signature pads, 83 fingerprint readers, 16 desktop card printers, five USB hubs, five power banks, five peli cases, four cannon multipurpose printers, and 135 clear full patches.
The donation forms part of the Public Sector Reform for Results Project (PSRRP) 2019-2024, a $35-million World Bank-funded project, and a partial implementation of the National Public Sector Reform Strategy (NPSRS) launched in 2018.
Presenting the items in Accra on April 6, Chief Executive Officer of PSRS, Thomas Kusi Boafo, said the equipment was to boost the DVLA’s transformation agenda.
As a critical national institution, he underscored the need to transform the Authority into a robust agency capable of delivering efficient services to the public.
Mr Boafo said the transformative agenda was crucial to ensure that the DVLA provided services that would respond to the country’s changing vehicle landscape and address and help in rebuilding its image.
“In 2016, the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) ranked the DVLA as the most corrupt institution in Ghana; and this was a very negative tag on such a key state institution.
However, through innovations and the introduction of transformative agenda that focuses on people, processes and technology, the same GII awarded the DVLA as the best in administrative reforms in 2020. This means that we are doing something great and changing that negative narrative,” the CEO added.
He charged the management of DVLA to extend its services to cut-off areas in the country with the equipment they have received.
The PSRRP, he said, was designed to improve efficiency and accountability in the delivery of services in the selected state entities.
Since its inception, the PSRRP, he noted, had supported many innovations by the DVLA to improve its service delivery.
“It is worth noting that since the implementation of the PSRRP, the DVLA has benefited immensely from major initiatives such as the procurement of six minivans, ICT equipment including license printing machines and consumables, capacity building for staff of the authority, and these were all geared towards improving citizens experience in assessing public sector services,” Mr Boafo stated.
Technical Advisor at the Office of the Senior Presidential Advisor, Robert Poku Kyei, implored the DVLA management to put the equipment to good use to ensure that the objective of transforming service delivery at the authority was achieved.
He called for proper maintenance culture and prudent use of the equipment.
“We trust that DVLA would maintain this equipment well and make very good use of it for the greater benefit of delivering efficient services to the citizens and private sector,” he said.
The CEO of the DVLA, Kwasi Agyeman Busia, expressed gratitude to the PSRS for the continuous support that has culminated in improved services by the Authority.
He said the Authority would continue to adapt innovative processes and methods in its operations to meet the needs of the public.
Under the PSRRP, the Passport Office, Births and Deaths Registry, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Public Services Commission, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Monitoring and Evaluation Secretariat, Public Sector Reform Secretariat and the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) have all been equipped to be able to deliver services to the public.
Other beneficiaries include the Ministries of Transport, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MFARI), Environment, Science Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
