Revive Struggling Neoplan Company – Old Workers To Gov’t

Neoplan Old Workers Association has called on the government to as soon as possible revive the collapsing and struggling Neoplan Ghana Limited as it could create employment for the unemployed people in the country.

Neoplan Ghana Limited, a bus manufacturing company in Kumasi Abrepo in the Bantama constituency has been in existence since 1974 under the Busia administration.

Speaking to the media, Mr Boateng Rexford who is the chairman for the Old Neoplan Workers said when Neoplan limited is being revamped it can employ as many unemployed youths in the country.

He stressed that it is sad to see a local Manufacturing Company which was employing over 2000 permanent workers and over 1000 Casual workers cannot even employ 1 person today and is almost on verge of collapsing with no workers at the site.

As a joint-venture company between the Government of Ghana and Gottlob Auwarter GmbH to produce buses for Ghana’s public transport fleet. It became the first bus manufacturing company in West Africa.

Neoplan was the first company that built a “Double Decker” bus in West Africa and was transporting some of the buses made here to Saudi Arabia, Zambia and other countries because they used to build 8 brand new Buses every week.

According to him, the Minister for Works and Housing who doubles as the Member of Parliament for the people of Bantama, Hon. Francis Asenso Boakye promised to revive the company but his promises are yet to come to light.

A former Engineer for Neoplan Company, Mr Akwasi Tonyo, stated that Metro Mass Transit wouldn’t have been as bad as its current state if Neoplan Ghana had been operating.

“I believe Neoplan Ghana can solve metro mass transit deplorable buses that are stuck in their yards because, Saudi Arabia bought 110 buses from Germany and after 8 years, it was not in good shape, they came to Ghana and Ghana (Neoplan) company sent 5 people to Thailand, Pakistan and Philippians to get them trained and went back to repair them with the little knowledge acquired from the Ghanaian Neoplan workers.

Other members also added their grievances or disappointments over the struggling company and urged the government to help revive it.

Source: Opemsuo.com/ Gloria Opoku.