With the second phase com­pleted, the plant owned by Zonda Tec Ghana Limited now has the capacity to produce about 3,000 trucks per annum from the current 850 trucks.

Inaugurating the facility at Kata­manso in the Greater Accra Region yesterday, President Akufo-Addo said it was significant that even as Sinotruk Ghana Limited begun commercial production for phase two, it was also investing in a third phase of expansion.

He said this demonstrated the confidence of the growth trajecto­ry of the truck assembly business and the growth prospects of Gha­na’s economy.

The President said Sinotruk and its partners had demonstrated how major players in the import and distribution chain had taken advan­tage of the government’s strategic intervention of One District One Factory (1D1F) to transition from importation and distribution of trucks to establishing assembly plants for both the local and ex­port market.

“It is based on the solid foun­dation of the first phase invest­ment in Kpone-Katamanso that Sinotruk’s business in Ghana continues to soar. I am reliably informed that this new assembly plant we are about to commission in Tema will increase the current annual production capacity from 850 trucks to more than 3,000 heavy-duty and light-duty trucks, including tipper trucks, wheel load­ers, backhoes, trailers, semi-trailers, oil tankers as well as a variety of light-duty vehicles, assembled from Semi-Knocked Down (SKDs) kits, which ensure adherence to inter­national standards of quality and safety,” he said.

In addition, he said the assembly plant would double employment in the company from 356 to 700 as well as also create 1,000 indirect employment opportunities.

On his part, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Kobi­na Tahir Hammond said the Kpone-Katamanso Municipality had become a bustling hub boast­ing of at least 10 1D1F companies.

These factories, he said includ­ed Mass Industries, producers of biscuits; Golden Africa, producers of soaps; Golden Africa Consum­er, producers of detergents; Matri, producers of paper products; Sentuo Ceramics, producers of ce­ramic tiles and Multipac, producers of beverages and mineral water.

The rest were Koudijs, produc­ers of animal feed; Ferro Fabrik, producers of Steel products; CIMAF, producers of cement and Nordiq Hygiene, producers of diapers.

Mr Hammond said the inau­guration of the phase two of the plant marked yet another mile­stone in the quest to industrialise and create more skilled jobs and stable sources of income for Ghanaians.

The Chief Executive Offi­cer of Sinotruk, Ms Yang Yang expressed her appreciation to the government for making the project successful.

She said not only would the plant create job opportunities for Ghanaians, but would also act as a strategic partner in Ghana’s indus­trialisation agenda.