Ghana is set to halt the importation of vehicle number plates from China, as the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) finalises a partnership with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to manufacture them locally.

The move is a step in the government’s drive for import substitution and industrial self-sufficiency.

This was made by VALCO’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Robert Makila Sambian, during a media tour of the company’s revitalised smelter in Tema.

For years, Ghana has depended on imported number plates, primarily from China, spending foreign exchange and facing logistical delays in the supply chain.

This dependency has persisted despite VALCO’s existence as a primary aluminium producer, highlighting a missed opportunity for local value addition.

The new partnership directly addresses this gap, aligning with the broader national agenda to industrialise by transforming raw materials into finished goods domestically.

Responding to questions on the status of the collaboration, Sambian provided a roadmap.

“The DVLA requirements will be fulfilled in our Phase 2 value addition line.

That would be in the course of this year,” he said.

He detailed that the process began last year and is nearing a conclusive stage.

“Very soon, we will be concluding on that, and the manufacturing of the equipment will start. Possibly, we are looking at the Chinese way,” he added, indicating that the production machinery may be sourced from China initially to establish the capability.

He assured the public, “Before the end of the year, you will hear updates about that project.”

This initiative forms part of VALCO’s value-addition strategy, which recently saw the opening of a new production line for electrical conductor-grade rods.

The number plate project is one facet of a comprehensive turnaround plan for VALCO, which is also involved in a selection process with the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) to secure a strategic partner.

This partnership aims to revamp VALCO and build a modern alumina refinery, important for backward integration using Ghana’s bauxite.

“That process is ongoing, we are open to many possibilities, but we don't want to continue in the state of waiting for the plant to go down.

So that is why we are making these strides so that if extended help comes, it only comes to meet us on a firm footing,” Sambian said.

Echoing this commitment to transformation, the VALCO Board Chairman, Mr. Horace Ankrah affirmed the board’s full support. “We know the President's vision. We know what is good for VALCO. We know what VALCO can do for the industry, employment, etc.

We as a Board, are here to govern. We will make sure that we are assisting VALCO in making sure that they get to where they want to get to, and especially aligning with the President's vision,” Mr Ankrah said.

The local production of number plates will create jobs, retain capital within the Ghanaian economy, and stimulate related downstream industries.