Ghanaian president commissions Chinese automobile assembly plant

ACCRA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday commissioned a Chinese automobile assembly plant in Kpone city of the Greater Accra Region.

Zonda Sinotruk, with an investment of 30 million U.S. dollars, is the culmination of a tripartite agreement by Ghana's Ministry of Trade and Industry, China's heavy-duty vehicle trading company Zonda and manufacturing company Sinotruk to build a heavy-duty vehicle assembly plant in Ghana.

Commissioning the plant, Akufo-Addo commended the partners for their commitment to building a major hub in Ghana to assemble heavy-duty trucks for West Africa, saying the collaboration demonstrated how notable players were taking advantage of the Ghanaian government's One District One Factory initiative to transition from imports to manufacturing.

Akufo-Addo also lauded the companies for establishing a state-of-the-art training center to train artisans to apply appropriate technology and skills to build their capacities in assembly processes, repair, and maintenance.

"My government is not oblivious of the challenges confronting manufacturing. I am convinced that our progress in restoring macroeconomic stability and our determination to return to growth will benefit the private sector in manufacturing and commerce," the president said.

The new plant is expected to assemble more than 3,000 heavy-duty and light-duty trucks, including tipper trucks, wheel loaders, backhoes, trailers, semi-trailers and oil tankers, in a year.

The plant pledged to employ at least 200 more crew and create more indirect employment opportunities.

Yang Yang, the managing director of Zonda, said the decision to shift from trade to industrialization was a pivotal step in building a self-sustaining ecosystem for society.

"The Zonda Sinotruk assembly plant is not just about vehicles, it is about shaping the future of Ghana. It creates jobs, imparts valuable skills, and injects revenue into Ghana's economy," Yang said, adding it is also conducive to fueling the country's automotive industry.

According to her, Zonda products have earned the trust of notable customers, including the Ghana Bauxite Company, Ghana Manganese Company, some leading players in the construction industry, and petroleum haulage companies.