LTO fails to deliver 1.7 million license plates paid by motorists in 2015 – COA

License plates (INQUIRER file photos)

MANILA, Philippines — Over 1.7 million license plates for automobiles, which motorists paid in 2015, have yet to be delivered by Land Transportation Office (LTO).

Commission on Audit (COA) gave this update in its 2022 audit report of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the mother agency of LTO.

COA said the replacement plates are worth a total of around P808 million.

To date, the items have not been delivered to various LTO regional offices.

The commission recalled the order released for this purpose.

“In 2014, Memorandum Circular No. AVT-1895 dated December 11, 2014 was issued requiring all 4-wheeled motor vehicles that will renew its registration to apply for a replacement plate of its old license plates with the new Motor Vehicle License Plates Standardization Program (MVLPSP),” it said.

COA noted that a long, long time has passed and yet, motorists have not received the material.

“Pursuant thereto, registered owners of motor vehicles were made to pay for replacement plates when they renewed their motor vehicle registration in CY (calendar year) 2015,” it said.

“Seven years since then, the LTO is yet to fully produce and deliver all the replacement plates,” it observed.

COA further said, it has already called LTO’s attention way back in 2021 in a separate audit report covering DOTr.

At that time, the commission told DOTr that 2.561 million pairs of replacement plates had not been delivered by LTO to motorists.

This means, from more two and a half million pairs of replacement plates that are considered backlogs, the Plate Making Plant (PMP) was able to produce only 764,514 pairs, as of December 31, 2022.

COA urged LTO to fast-track the production of the replacement plates.

It noted Congress had given LTO a budget of P4.7 billion to complete the plate production.

For 2023, the commission is once again asking LTO to accomplish this mission.

Its report stated, “The undelivered replacement MV plates and MC backlogs indicate lapses in the performance by the LTO Management of one of its mandates, thus, depriving the registrants of their right to receive the plates they have paid for.”

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