Delivering his State of The Nation Address on Thursday, February 20, 2020, President Akufo-Addo added that the Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer, Toyota is also scheduled to start the assembly of vehicles in Tema in the last quarter of this year.

“VW is building its plant at the North Industrial Area in Accra, and is due to start production by the end of April," he said.

"Sinotruk has begun assembling its trucks. Toyota is scheduled to start the assembly of vehicles in Tema in the last quarter of this year. We have high hopes for this new industry, which has come to join our own Kantanka.”

Having launched the Ghana Automotive Development Policy in August last year, the President told Parliament that it has so far attracted investments and commercial interests from some very big players, including Toyota, Volkswagen, Nissan, Renault, Hyundai, Sinotruk and Suzuki.

Background

It will be recalled that in August last year, Ghana’s Ministry of Trade and Industry signed a separate MoU's for the establishment of an automotive assembly plant in Ghana with Volkswagen (VW) and Toyota.

At the time, the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Ichiro Kashitani, gave an assurance that the first Toyota vehicle to be assembled in Ghana under the current administration will be unveiled by August 2020.

He also expressed appreciation to the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for its help and support towards the realisation of the project.