Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, widely known as NAPO, has unveiled the government’s initiative to equip auto mechanics with the skills needed to thrive in Ghana’s evolving automotive industry.
Addressing the leadership of garages at Suame Magazine in the Suame Constituency on Thursday, November 28, Dr. Prempeh, the running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), underscored the importance of preparing mechanics for the global transition toward digitalization in the auto sector.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing comprehensive training and tools to ensure auto mechanics stay relevant amidst the anticipated automotive revolution.
Stressing the need to prevent job redundancy in the sector through proper training and capacity-building initiatives he said, “Our goal is to ensure that Ghanaian mechanics are not left behind as the global automotive industry moves towards digitalization”.
“In a few years, these vehicles that you are repairing would be phased out of the system as the global auto industry is heading to the manufacturing of electronic cars.
“Because the NPP has the interest and the welfare of auto mechanics at heart, we have already started the training of auto mechanics through funding by the government under Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) so that you will still be useful” he emphasized.
He believes that the production of older car models will eventually come to an end and pledged to support garages to transition into the digital era, ensuring mechanics remain competitive in business.
NAPO also assured that the persistent issues faced by importers, particularly the frequent changes in import duties at the country’s ports, would soon be resolved.
“Import duties keep changing at the ports, and this creates problems for importers. Dr. Bawumia, when elected as president, will introduce a fixed-duty system to stop this problem.
“With the fixed duty, you will know the cost of your duty before the container carrying your goods arrives at the port. This will help you to plan well. It’s for credibility and stability” he assured.