Workshop Manager at Neoplan Ghana Limited, Ernest Nyanful Boateng has disclosed that some notable state institutions have refused to purchase buses from them regardless of their (Neoplan) numerous efforts to gain business to revive the failing Neoplan.
The company which has been having a hard time and has come close to shutting down twice in the past 2 years, has tried all it can to survive but seems their efforts alone are not enough.
“This year has been hard for us and we have not received any contracts and proposals. We’ve combed the entire of Ghana, shared documents, pictures and made numerous presentations but we’ve not been successful,” he told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning show.
The worried Neoplan Manager disclosed, “We’ve been to the STC, Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Metro Mass but they’ve still not got back to us or made any orders. Metro Mass for example prefers the buses we make to any others but they are not being cleared to buy from us.”
He explained that the excuse from most of these state institutions is that Neoplan buses are expensive, forgetting “our buses are of a higher quality and they end up importing from Asia.”
Extolling Neoplan buses for their high quality and insisting they are worth the cost, Ernest Nyanful Boateng illuminated, “the buses are made of galvanized sheets which are stronger and made for Ghanaian roads and that is why they are more expensive. The buses from Asia are made from fibre and that is why there are cheaper than ours.
According to him, the buses manufactured by Neoplan for Metro Mass in the 2000s are still operational, while the ones imported from Asia at lower prices have already been damaged beyond repairs. “One bus from Neoplan will outlive two to three buses imported from Asia.”
President Akufo-Addo has announced the government’s decision to absorb Neoplan Ghana Limited into its one-district- one-factory industrialization initiative.
Neoplan Ghana which was established in 1974 as a bus manufacturing firm for Ghana’s transport fleet, has in recent times been on the decline due to a number of challenges and has resulted in the laying off of staff because it has been unable to secure contracts from government and the private sector to boost its operations, falling on repair and maintenance services, which have led to recurring losses.
President Akufo-Addo during his just-ended four-day working visit of the Ashanti Region said the government was keen on reviving the once vibrant Neoplan.