Okyenhene buys Kantanka SUV

Daily Graphic

Mon 24th Apr, 2017 16:09

The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, has acquired a Kantanka SUV manufactured by Kantanka Automobile Company at a cost of GH¢150,000.

The vehicle was handed over to Osagyefuo at Kyebi on Monday .

After inspecting the vehicle, the Okyenhene expressed confidence in the Ghanaian car manufacturing company and urged the government to patronise the vehicles for all its institutions in the country to encourage the company.

The Okyenhene suggested to the government to patronise goods manufactured in the country.

He said this would not strengthen industry but also serve as an avenue for the employment of the teeming youth in the country most of whom were unemployed.

“Government can buy a whole lot of these cars for the Police, Fire Service, and Immigration instead of importing Land Cruisers and when it’s faulty they have a shop to service it,” he said.

The Okyenhene’s moves makes it the second time two prominent chiefs in the country have acquired Kantaka vehicles.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo, Osei Tutu II, has acquired three of those vehicles, one has already been delivered with the remaining two yet to be delivered.

According to Osagyefuo Ofori Panin, the Asian Tigers started on the same scale as the Kantanka Automobiles and today have become giants in the industry.

He suggested that government also patronise the Katanka vehicles for Ministries, Departments and Agencies in order to reduce cost.

He said unlike Katanka which cost about GH¢150,000 as compared to vehicles from Europe, the cost benefit analysis was very enormous.

He commended Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo, the founder of Kantanka Group of Companies for his ingenuity and pointed out that he has proven that it is not only in America, Asia and Europe that cars could be manufactured and assembled.

On his part, the General Manager of Kantanka Automobile Company, Kwadwo Safo Kantanka Junior, appealed to the government to grant the company a tax waiver on the importation of its raw materials to enable it manufacture and sell the vehicles at affordable prices to Ghanaians.

The spokeperson of Apostle Dr. Safo, Nana Yaw Amoako, said the company now has 400 employees and that when given the necessary support could create more job opportunities for Ghanaians.

He disclosed that in the not too distant future the company would be introducing saloon cars as well as buses in Ghana.

“We have pickups that you can take to farm and normal construction works. We have pickups for executive uses. We have all kinds of models to fit any job description. We are into negotiations with the government, but the only thing is if we can adopt the strategy that Nigeria and South Africa use whereby automobile manufacturers or assemblers get tax waivers and tax holidays. So for example, if you buy a Kantanka vehicle, you are feeding the one who did the interior, the mechanic, the sprayer and about 10 to 15 people, all Ghanaians. The money is being saved in Ghana so it’s a win-win situation for Kantanka and Ghana as a whole,” he stated.