By:Isaac Amoah
The Vice Presidential Candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has assured the leadership and members of Suame Magazine that the NPP government is highly committed to equipping auto mechanics with skills ahead of auto revolution.
Dr.Mathew Opoku Prempeh speaking at the event
He said the training of artisans and auto mechanics had already begun and Suame Magazine workers would not be left out.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh, who is well known in the political space as Napo, on Thursday, 28th November 2024, engaged the leadership of garages at Suame Methodist church to address their concerns, solicit their views and also explain details of NPP manifesto on electric vehicles, flat rate on import duties, flat income tax, gold for oil policy and other policies geared towards reducing the burden on importers and artisans.
A section of participants
He noted that the costs of fuel and transport are the two of the main drivers of inflation in Ghana, hence their increase has implications on other variables such as exchange rate, cost of food and utilities, etc.
He said “there are two elements that dominate the pricing formula for transport: fuel and spare parts. Now, with what we are doing with electric vehicles, generally, I mean the fuel cost really becomes very minimal.”
He, therefore, called on Suame Magazine Garages and all mechanics to take advantage of electric vehicles since their use is cost effective. He added that by 2030, petrol vehicles would have phased out, hence the need for all to embrace electric vehicles.
According to him, Bawumia’s government is committed to seeing that public transport is completely moved from dependence on petrol and diesel to fully electric vehicles.
He, therefore, appealed to the electorate not to make any mistake to vote for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Mr John Mahama, the Flagbearer of the party.
“Ghana is moving forward and we don’t want to go back. Bawumia’s government is committed to digitalisation and that’s why I’m asking you to vote for number one for Dr. Bawumia,” he appealed.
The leadership of garages, led by Luqman Nuhu Mohammed Appiadu, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of Garages, endorsed the electric vehicles policy.
Besides, he emphasised the training of all members of Suame Magazine Garages and auto mechanics.
He appealed to the government to help garages to secure an Executive Instrument for 2000 land acres. He also asked the government to set up assembly plants.
It would be recalled that Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia inaugurated Ghana’s first fleet of electric buses (EVs) on Wednesday, November 27, marking a step towards modernising the country’s public transportation system.
The buses will undergo test operations beginning this week. This initiative stems from Dr. Bawumia’s vision of adopting electric vehicles as a cost-saving measure for the transportation sector.
During the inauguration, the Managing Director of the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MTTL), Albert Adu Boahen, stated that measures had been put in place to ensure effective use of the electric buses.
This initiative is expected to reduce the cost of public transport by 40%.
