The vehicles, comprising 100 33-seater buses and 250 saloon cars, are to be used for commercial operations.

The ceremony, which took place at the forecourt of the State House in Accra yesterday, was part of the MASLOC/GPRTU Vehicle Hire Purchase Scheme, an initiative by the government to boost transportation business in Ghana.

Novelty

President John Dramani Mahama, who presented the vehicles to officials of the GPRTU, said, "The scheme is yet another novelty of this government that will afford members of the GPRTU the opportunity to acquire on hire purchase, buses and saloon cars to renew their fleet in a manner that will not put undue constraints on their capital and cash flow."

He said the provision of the vehicles was consistent with the government's  policy to expand opportunities to all and also ensure a firm foundation for socio-economic transformation through the provision of safe means of transport to the citizens of the country.

"The government considers the private sector a partner in the growth and development of our country and also believes that the travelling public deserves comfort and affordable prices regardless of the nature  of transport they utilise," he stated.

Commendation

President Mahama commended  MASLOC for the impressive work it was doing, especially in providing micro, small and group loans to people, -including those who were into food crop production, agro processing, marketing, livestock production, poultry vocational and fishing industries.

"It is not in doubt that government has not only focused on developing state-of-the-art critical infrastructure that will improve the well-being of Ghanaians and stimulate sustainable economic growth, but has also been working on creating opportunities for many citizens to create and contribute actively to economic growth and national development," the President noted.

 He encouraged beneficiaries of the vehicles to take good care of them and also ensure regular repayment to expand the scheme to cover more people.

"I wish to encourage you to drive responsibly on the roads. We need you alive to support national development," the President further advised.

MASLOC agenda

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MASLOC, Mrs Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, said the goal of MASLOC was to reduce poverty through financial inclusion.

She said the contribution of the private sector to the transport business in the country could not be over-emphasised, in spite of challenges such as poor maintenance, dilapidated vehicles and poor management.

The CEO said these had informed the establishment of the MASLOC Vehicle Hire Purchase Scheme, which had so far provided 1,331 saloon cars to private commercial operators in the country.

The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs Joyce Bawa Mogtari, said the government's quest to improve on the transport sector continued to reap benefits.

She promised that the ministry would continue to engage players in the sector on how best their businesses could thrive.