Uganda, May 6 -- Government has moved to quicken the troubled rollout of digital number plates, promising one-hour vehicle registration and issuing tough directives to eliminate delays that have frustrated motorists and cost car dealers millions in idle stock.

At a high-level meeting in Kampala on Tuesday, Works and Transport Minister Gen Katumba Wamala cracked down on what he described as "excuses" and delayed inefficiencies across agencies, ordering immediate reforms to speed up the process.

"We have had a lot of back and forth and finger pointing, with each party claiming it is not responsible. We now want to find solutions so that we can establish effective support systems and enable Ugandans to get number plates as quickly as possi...