Global automobile company, Volkswagen has established an
Assembly Facility in Accra’s North Industrial Area, and is the first automobile company to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to establish a vehicle assembly plant in Ghana.
Government, as part of its transformational agenda has identified Vehicle Assembly and Automotive Components Manufacturing as a strategic anchor industry to be facilitated and supported as part of the Ten Point Plan for industrial development.
In spite of the negative economic impact of the novel coronavirus, it is comforting to learn that the company has commenced commercial production under a registered local company VW Ghana, and is currently producing five Volkswagen models.
These brands include Tiguan, Amarok Pickup, Passat, Polo and Teramont.
We are particularly excited about this development since it will not only provide employment opportunities to Ghanaians but also add significant prestige to the country’s ailing manufacturing sector by enhancing industrial development.
While Volkswagen will be afforded the opportunity to produce its vehicles with relatively cheaper labour costs, it also offers Ghana the opportunity to take advantage of technology transfer and enhance the skills of our mechanics/engineers and artisans.
The vision of Government for the implementation of the Ghana Automotive Development Policy (GADP) is to make Ghana a fully integrated and competitive industrial hub for the Automotive Industry in the West Africa sub-region.
It will be recalled that in 2018, Ghana signed memoranda of understanding with three global automobile manufacturing companies – Volkswagen, Nissan and Sinotruk – to establish assembling plants here to among other things create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has indicated that the structural transformation of the economy, and the rapid development of the industrial sector, especially its manufacturing component, is critical to the peace and success of the country’s attempts to deliver progress and prosperity for all.
It is therefore with this in mind that the Paper is elated that even with the unannounced negative COVID-19 impact on the economy, this venture has been able to weather the storm and commenced commercial production.
Such facilities, we believe, will help speed up the post-COVID-19 recovery of the economy and restore the economy to health and prosperity. Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen recently paid a working visit to the assembly plant and presented the Bonafide Vehicle Assembler Certificate to VW Ghana.
