Anambra Launches e-card Vehicle Licensing Service

By Dan Obagha

Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AIRS) has launched e-card vehicle license to replace old vehicle papers license.

In an interview with news men in his office at Amawbia, the Anambra State Motor registrar (SMR) in AIRS, Mr Daniel Okoye said that the new e-card will compress all paper works in all categories of vehicle registrations and renewals into one in order to stop leakages of Anambra revenue.

‘‘Before now we have been using paper particulars for registration and renewal of all categories of vehicles including tricycles and motorcycles but because the whole world is driving towards technology and in line with digital transformation policy of our Governor, Chukwuma Soludo in Anambra State we decided to compress all the paper works into one.

‘‘One of the major reasons is to block all leackages that occur through fake vehicle papers. When you have fake papers everywhere, the money that will go into government account will be entering into individual accounts. So as you curb fake vehicle papers you increase revenue’’, Okoye said.

The SMR also stated that another reason for the e-card is to enhance national security.

‘‘ The second reason for the e-card is for national security. It will help us to bring into central database information about every person using motors including tricycles and motorcycles. It will then help the police and other security agencies to investigate any vehicle at any time’’, he said.

Mr Okoye disclosed that internal revenue service of all the states and all security agencies in Nigeria have been informed about the innovation.

‘‘ Letters are being sent to all the state internal revenue services throughout the federation and the Inspector General of police who will narrow it down to the ranks and file of the police force. The e-card takes effect from 24th May, 2023’’, Okoye said.

Mr Okoye further explained that the e-card has a security code that is embedded in it that if one types it in his mobile phone every information about the vehicle will come out.

He added that the card itself is free of charge but there is receipt accompanying the payments about the particulars in the e-card.

The Motor Registrar said that third party online insurance is the only paper that is not in the e-card.

In a separate interview, the project manager of OASIS management company in charge of information technology (IT) at AIRS, Mr Nonso Ojukwu, said that the e-card contains the name of the individual, the phone number and the address.

‘‘ It also shows the mode of registration that the person has done such as new registration or renewal. At the back of the card, it shows the vehicle information, the chassis number, engine number and the make and model of the vehicle. Most importantly, it has unique qr code that at any time a security personnel scans it he will find out if the vehicle paper is valid or not’’, Ojukwu said.

He adds: the e-card has a sticker too that accompanies it. The colour is green and white and the expiry dates of the vehicle license and the roadwordiness are written clearly on the e-card.

The OASIS project manager also said that they had a meeting with the security agencies in Anambra State where they taught them on how to check the e-card.(MOI)