President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has disclosed factories in Ghana’s garment value chain have produced some 15 million face masks and other personal protective equipment’s (PPE’s) as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, the production of these items has gone towards safeguarding front line health workers, students, teaching and non-teaching staff amid the partial reopening of tertiary, senior and junior high schools in Ghana.

The President, speaking at the unveiling of the first Volkswagen car assembled in Ghana on August 3, 2020 in Accra said; “With the support of government our hitherto dormant and domestic garment factories have over the past few months been revived. We have been able to produce currently 15 million face masks and other personal protective equipment’s for front line health workers, and for all students, teaching and non-teaching staff involved in the partial reopening of our junior and senior high schools, universities and other tertiary institutions.

“This has saved our nation million of dollars in foreign exchange and in the time of jobs losses, has created jobs for thousands of people, especially young people across the country. These job opportunities would’ve otherwise gone to foreign companies in distant shores had we chosen to import these PPE’s,” Akufo-Addo added.

The President said government, coupled with the appropriate policy in place will insist that all public agencies purchase their textile and garment needs from domestic sources.

President Akufo-Addo today August 3 unveiled the first locally assembled Volkswagen car in Ghana as part of efforts to enhance the automobile industry.

Earlier in June this year, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Alan Kyeremanten, visited the assembling plant of Volkswagen (VW) at the North Industrial Area in Accra, to have first-hand insight regarding the ongoing work of the automobile giant.

The president in his State of the Nation Address on February 21 this year, announced VW was due to start production by the end of April 2020.

According to him, vehicle manufacturer Sinotruk, from China, which has also expressed interest in Ghana, is expected to also commence assembling of vehicle at a plant later year.

The establishment of these assembling plants, according to the president is to create some thousands of jobs for Ghanaians, particularly mechanical and electrical engineers.