The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Sun Baohong on Tuesday presented 17 ZhongTong buses to the Ministry of Transport for onward distribution to state institutions which need them.

The presentation of the 35–seater buses, which cost 10 million Chinese Yuan, was in partial fulfillment of the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement signed between the Governments of Ghana and China in 2009 and September 2010.

Receiving the buses, Mrs Dzifa Attivor, Minister of Transport, expressed her appreciation to the Chinese Government for its assistance to the economic development of Ghana over the years.

“Despite the long distance, cultural and socio-economic differences, cooperation in various fields have deepened, enhanced the existing cordial relations to the mutual benefits of both countries”, she said.

She noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two Governments had been helping each other in the fields of economic development, trade, educational and cultural exchanges.

She said the buses had been made to suit specifications in Ghana and our road, adding that, Zhong Tong Bus Holdings Company, which was the manufacturer of the buses would provide theoretical and practical training to drivers and mechanics of the institutions which would benefit.

She intimated that the Ministry of Transport after careful deliberations would give the buses out to state institutions which might be in need of them.

She added that the Ministry was also in the process of taking delivery of 116 Huanghai buses from China for the metro Mass Transit.

Ms Sun Baohong extolled the trade relations which had existed between Ghana and China over the years and expressed the readiness of the Chinese Government to support the Ghanaian Government agencies.