Accra, April 21, GNA – The German Cooperation on Wednesday presented two vehicles to the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK Ghana) to facility their operations.
The vehicles, a white and a black Tiguan SUV, locally assembled by automotive giant, Volkswagen, were presented after the signing of a partnership agreement between the Cooperation and the Trade Ministry at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.
The partnership agreement aims at creating sustainable jobs and livelihoods to overcome poverty through the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation “Invest for Jobs”- an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Mr Christoph Retzlaff, the German Ambassador to Ghana, presented the first car to the Ministry, while Ms Regina Bauerochse Barbosa, the Country Director of GIZ Ghana, presented the other to the AHK Ghana.
Mr Retzlaff said the gesture was to emphasize the German Government’s support to Ghana’s automotive sector as part of government’s broader 10-point Industrial Transformation Agenda.
He said the company was looking to expand its facilities to create more direct and indirect jobs.
The Ambassador said with the signing of the partnership agreement, local assembling of vehicles would be supported to create employment for more than 10,000 Ghanaians in the long run.
“Through the Grant Agreement, the establishment of a structure in the form of an automotive desk in the Ministry is being supported. This single-entry point enables a better support for investors and other stakeholders that leads to an improvement of the whole ecosystem, as activities can be handled on a need-based basis,” he said.
“In the middle and long term this creates direct jobs through the increase of local assembly of vehicles and indirect jobs along the value chain, for example in components manufacturing.”
Mr Allan Kyerematen, the Trade Minister, commended the German Government for its support towards the implementation of government’s Industrial Transformation Agenda.
He said the vehicle would enable the Ministry to improve its operational efficiency and coordination of the one-stop Automotive Programme Management Unit dedicated to engaging stakeholders in the Ghana Automotive Development Programme.
“It will also support the work of the Automotive Development Support Centre, established to provide advanced skills training, promote vehicle standards and facilitate the implementation of vehicle financing and insurance schemes in collaboration with the financial sector,” Mr Kyerematen said.
He said a state-of-the-art training centre for technology and skills transfer would also be established to help build a competent labour force for the various specialisations in the automotive sector.
“By the end of 2022, the Ghana Automotive Development Programme will lead to the establishment of four assembly plants; there will be some leading global auto manufacturing companies including Toyota-Suzuki, Nissan, Kia and Hyundai in addition to the current vehicle assembly operations of Kantanka Automobile Limited, Volkswagen and Sinotruck,” he said.
Volkswagen and the Government, in August 30, 2018, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up an automotive assembly plant to produce Volkswagen cars in the country, during a brief visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo, on August 3, 2020, unveiled the first VW vehicles assembled in the newly established VW Assembly Plant in Ghana.
GNA