A nine member committee to oversee the implementation of the Suame Magazine Industrial Park Complex has been inaugurated.
Mr Samuel Sarpong, Ashanti Regional Minister,called on the members to exhibit professionalism that would have far reaching effect on the realisation of the objectives of the promoters of the project.
He said the initiative to transform Suame Magazine into globally competitive industrial complex should be a collective responsibility of all in advancing the economic development of the Ashanti Region and to realize the goals of building a technologically advanced Ghana.
The Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organisation (SMIDO) is spearheading the development of a 1000 acre land at Adubinsokese in the Afigya-Kwabre District into a world class automobile industrial complex.
The aim is not only to transform Suame Magazine into a globally competitive automobile complex, but also as an industrialization strategy to develop it as Ghana’s main local content pipeline to the mining, oil and gas industry.
The Danish Government, through the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) has shown interest in the development of the project by providing technical and financial assistance.
The members of the committee are Mr Kaakyire Oppong Kyekyeku, District Chief Executive for Afigya-Kwabre, Chairman, Nana Owusu Peasah, Chief of Adubinsokese, Mr Nyaaba-Aweeba Azongo, Consultant to (SMIDO), Mr Palma Afesi of United Pension Trustees and Mr Clement Sarpong, SMIDO Land Committee Chairman.
The rest are Mr Mark Williams, representative of Danish Embassy in Ghana, Mr Isaac Owusu Mensah, Afigya-Kwabre District Town and Country Planning Officer, Mr Eric Yaw Owusu, District Project Engineer and Mrs Emelia Botchway, District Coordinating Director.
The committee is mandated to ensure proper acquisition of the land free from all encumbrances and properly documented for uninterrupted implementation of the project.
It is also to set out clear terms of partnership interest between SMIDO and United Pensions Trust and all parties that have role to play in the execution of the project, review and regularize the legal framework of SMIDO’s registration and to ensure the enlistment of relevant stakeholders for the project.
Mr Sarpong said the world was expecting that something good came out of Suame Magazine, which was the hub of vehicle repairs and sale of parts as well as host of artisanal works in the West African sub-region.
The dream of Ghanaians was that Suame Magazine should be in a position to come out with its own make of cars to contribute to Ghana’s industrialization effort.
He was of the hope that with the commitment and resourcefulness of members of the committee, they would be able to execute their mandate to the fullest.
Mr Sarpong praised the leadership of SMIDO for its tenacity of purpose and said the inauguration of the committee showed their unshakable desire to see the implementation of the project.
Mr Nyaaba-Aweeba Azongo, Consultant to SMIDO, said the Danish technical support would identify the technical-equipment-safety capacity gaps between the Suame Magazine and the mining, oil and gas industry.
It would also determine and design investment strategy that would ensure domestic integration of the magazine into the mining, oil and gas industry.
Mr Azongo said it was only through a deliberate strategy to integrate Suame Magazine into the oil and gas industry that Ashanti Region would benefit from the opportunities in that sector.