PHC relaunches Land Rover

Page 55, June 3, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

LAND ROVER vehicles, which used to be one of the most preferred vehicles in Ghana in the 1960s, has been re-launched in the country.
The vehicles are now being offered for sale under the sole dealership of PHC Motors Limited.
At the re-launching ceremony in Accra, the Managing Director of the company, Mr Paul Kwabena Pepera said, there were special offers for customers to own new Land Rover vehicles through a trade-in scheme to allow customers to exchange their existing Land/Range Rover vehicles for the new 2010 models.
In addition, all orders of Land Rover vehicles placed between now and September, 2010 would enjoy a three-year free service from PHC Motors Limited.
He announced that his company had purchased a 12-acre plot of land in Kumasi to open a new spare parts and service centre, while plans were far advanced to develop a modern training centre, a technical motor institute and a vehicle test track on the land.
Mr Pepera said it was heart-warming that 14 years after the Land Rover dealership in the country was taken away from his company, it had won back the dealership.
He stated that the company had spent one year undergoing intensive training, amassing a healthy stock of spare parts and investing in the latest Land Rover diagnostic equipment, as well as assembling a team of experienced managers and technicians to handle the franchise.
Launching the vehicles, the Deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Dzifa Attivor, said projections from the National Road Safety Commission indicated that road accidents would take a third position on the league of causes of deaths by 2020 if nothing was done immediately about the current situation.
She noted that road accidents, which used to be sixth on the list of 10 major causes of deaths in the country, had now assumed a position prominence on the nation’s all-killer-factor list.
Ms Attivor said that road accidents had been compromised over the years largely because of poor vehicle maintenance, lack of adequate and genuine spare parts, including durable and reliable vehicle tyres, in addition to other human induced errors, such as drink-driving, fatigue, poor visibility, recklessness and general indiscipline.
The deputy minister indicated that the urgency of the situation called for concerted efforts from stakeholders, including vehicle manufacturers, drivers, vehicle distributors, passengers, pedestrians, commercial vehicle operators and owners and all road users.
She stated that Land Rover was one of the finest motor companies in the world with speciality in a wide range of luxury and commercial vehicles, including the world’s famous Range Rover and Defender models.
Ms Attivor said in deciding to appoint PHC Motors as its official dealer in Ghana, she had no doubt that Land Rover was mindful of PHC Motor’s sales-service located throughout the country.
The Regional Business Manager of Jaguar and Land Rover in South Africa, Mr Nigel Clarke, said PHC Motors Limited was chosen to deal in Land Rover vehicles because of its excellent after sales services.
He stated that the partnership with the company, would therefore ensure that customers would receive excellent services to put their Land Rover vehicles in good shape at all times.
Mr Clarke said the Land Rover was now back home in Ghana and urged Ghanaians to purchase Land Rover vehicles since they were ideal for the African terrain.
Present at the ceremony was the British High Commissioner to Ghana Dr Nicholas Westcott.