Zonda Ghana Limited, a Chinese automobile assembling company, in partnership with Great Wall Motors of China, introduced a new set of SUVs and pickups into the Ghanaian market on Tuesday.
The GWM Tank 300 SUV and the Great Wall Commercial and Individual Poer pick-ups were launched at a ceremony at the Kotoka International Airport in the Ghanaian capital of Accra.
Speaking at the ceremony, Michael Okyere Baafi, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, lauded Zonda and its partners for changing the landscape for the supply of vehicles to Ghanaians through the local assembly of heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles.
“These two remarkable vehicles, which we are launching today, symbolize not just innovation and engineering excellence but also the spirit of adventure and progress,” Baafi said.
The deputy minister announced that the government had given the green light for the local assembly of the Poer pickup locally this year under the Ghana Automotive Development Program, while the GWM Tank 300 would receive its registration within two years.
Baafi said these interventions by Zonda and its partners, together with the government’s package of incentives for the local assembly of vehicles, would help bring down the prices of good-quality vehicles such as the GWM Tank 300 and the Poer pickups.
Yang Yang, the managing director of Zonda, said the introduction of the two new automobile models is a testament to the company’s commitment to offering Ghanaians the best innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction.
Yang announced that Zonda would start assembling the Poer pick-up trucks in Ghana by this August, “Signalling a new era of local manufacturing and economic growth in line with Ghana’s vision for industrialization.”
“This assembly plant represents a significant investment in the future of the Ghanaian automotive industry. It will not only enhance our production capabilities but also create numerous job opportunities and contribute to the local economy,” she stated.
Yang added that the local assembly also aims to provide customers with superior products while fostering technology transfer and the growth of local expertise and skills by having the Ghanaian team of engineers trained and certified by engineers from Great Wall Motors.
Fan Dongyun, the local representative of Great Wall Motors, said the Chinese automobile company decided to partner with Zonda in Ghana because it considers the country one of the most important markets in West Africa. “We will work together with Zonda for win-win development and support the Ghanaian market to achieve great success in the future,” Fan pledged.