Ghana’s investment climate is favourable for industries such as mining and construction to thrive, but sustained growth in these sectors will require investment in technical skills and job creation.

The Country Manager of Senok West Africa Ltd, Roshan Buddhagamage, says the expansion of industrial activity presents opportunities for businesses to invest in machinery and develop the local workforce needed to support the sectors.

Speaking at the official launch of the company’s authorised distribution of JCB construction machinery in Ghana, Mr Buddhagamage said the country’s mining and construction industries were contributing to economic growth.

According to him, investments in these sectors must also support the development of local technical expertise to ensure Ghanaians can participate in the opportunities created by expanding industrial activity.

“Ghana is actually growing. The economy of Ghana is growing because of these industries,” he said.

Mr Buddhagamage explained that the company’s approach would go beyond selling machinery to training mechanics and equipment operators.

He said JCB had trained more than 5,000 technicians across East Africa, adding that developing a technically competent workforce would be important to supporting the growth of Ghana’s mining and construction industries.

The skills development focus, he said, would help prepare local workers to operate and maintain heavy machinery as industrial activity expands.

The Deputy Managing Director for East Africa at JCB India Limited, Rupesh Nagar, says the company is looking beyond machinery sales to building the technical capacity needed to support Ghana’s growing industrial sectors.

Speaking at the official launch of the latest JCB machinery range, Mr Nagar said the country’s expanding mining and construction industries were contributing to economic growth and creating a need for a technically competent workforce.

“Ghana is developing as we speak. If you see the industry that we are present in, whether it is the mining industry or the construction industry, Ghana is actually growing. The economy of Ghana is growing because of these industries,” he said.

He explained that JCB’s approach would involve training local mechanics and equipment operators to ensure the country has the expertise required to operate and maintain heavy machinery.

“What we are providing assurance through JCB is we are not here to sell machines only. We are here for capability building of the industry,” he said.

“Our endeavour in Ghana is: how do we train the mechanics, how do we train the operators, to ensure that a few years down the line, you have manpower which is competent, technically trained to operate the machines,” he said.

He said building a technically skilled workforce would be important to the development of Ghana’s industries and the broader economy.