The managing director and chairperson of Volkswagen Group Africa, Martina Biene has called on the government to fully implement the Ghana Automotive Development Policy (GADP) to help unlock the country’s potential as a West African auto manufacturing hub.
The 2019 Ghana Automotive Development Policy is aimed at producing affordable new vehicles for the Ghanaian market and reducing the over-reliance on used vehicles.
Toyota, Volkswagen, Nissan, Suzuki, KIA, and Mahindra have all set up assembly plants.
Speaking to Asaase Business at the launch of the new Volkswagen Virtus, Biene said the full implementation of GADP will position Ghana as a new vehicle manufacturing leader in West Africa.
“We have around US$54 million investment already in the country that leads to an installed capacity of 140,000 cars which could be built in Ghana on an annual basis with a current investment already but there’s two steps in the Automotive Development Policy implementation still missing. So, it’s been all agreed and gazette but not gazetted,” she said.
“The most important point is an import duty on used cars because that the one competing with the new car market, so it is not only about Volkswagen, it is also about other manufacturers. We could be more competitive and strengthen the local base for more manufacturing”.
The Ghana Automotive Development Policy (GADP) policy offers incentives like corporate tax holidays, import duty exemptions, and attractive financing schemes to boost investment and job creation.
Reporting by Nana Agyeman Prempeh in Accra
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