President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned the Phase III expansion of the Zonda Tec Ghana vehicle assembly facility in Tema, as government steps up efforts to strengthen local vehicle manufacturing and promote industrialisation.
The expanded facility has a reported annual production capacity of 12,000 vehicles, further positioning Ghana’s automotive sector as a key area for manufacturing and job creation.
President Mahama said Ghana must move beyond assembling vehicles with imported parts and develop a fully integrated automotive value chain in which local businesses manufacture components and provide services to the industry.
He called for increased investment in the production of automotive components including batteries, tyres, wiring systems, seats, glass, plastics and metal parts.
According to the President, developing these supporting industries will create opportunities for Ghanaian enterprises while generating employment across different stages of the automotive value chain.
President Mahama also stressed the need for accessible and longer-term vehicle financing to enable more Ghanaians, particularly public sector workers, to purchase locally assembled vehicles.
He said increased access to vehicle financing would help create sustained demand for locally manufactured automobiles and support the growth of Ghana’s automotive industry.
The President further pointed to Ghana’s mineral resources and renewable energy potential as strategic advantages that could be leveraged to develop an integrated automotive ecosystem.
He said the country could connect its mineral resources to battery production, vehicle manufacturing and, eventually, the export of vehicles and automotive products.
The commissioning of the expanded Zonda Tec facility forms part of government’s broader push to make manufacturing a major pillar of economic transformation, with greater emphasis on local production, skills development and value addition.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Mavis Fantevi
