We’ve not been paid for 5 months – Neoplan staff lament

Staff of Neoplan Ghana have disclosed that they have not received any salaries for the past 5 months.

The bus manufacturing company which has fallen on hard times, was set up by former President Kufuor to make buses for the Metro Mass Transit Company Limited. After the initial 450 buses manufactured by Neoplan, it has been reduced to a servicing hub, making it difficult for the company to make returns.

Workshop Manager for Neoplan, Ernest Nyanful Boateng told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, “For the past five months, we have not received any salaries. From June we have not received any pay.”

He indicated that they mostly survive from rehabilitation and painting jobs they undertake for Metro Mass. “Metro Mass has become a major customer which keeps us afloat and so does VIP. If not for these companies and their help, we would have been in trouble.”

According to him, some of their debtors have also been unable to pay them for work done and that is also another factor which has caused the delay in the salaries.

Human Resource Manager for Neoplan, Veronica Asante-Darko confirmed this, clarifying that salaries have not been paid for 4 months. “It is true the staff have not been paid for a couple of months, specifically from June to September so it’s a total of 4 months.”

She however assured the staff that these arrears will be paid into their accounts by close of the week. “It is not only about salaries but some workers have retired and have not seen their benefits. All this is because the company is not as strong as it was before. After manufacturing 450 buses in 2010, we have not built any and government had also abandoned us until just last week.”

The Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has said government is working to capture Neoplan Ghana Limited under the One District One Factory initiative, in order to revive it.

The company in 2020 hinted it may be forced to shut down its operations if the government does not support it.

Government subsequently engaged the management of Neoplan on plans to revive the company