Nii Lantey Vanderpuiye: I’m Not Defending Zoomlion But…

Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, has asked Ghanaians not to throw out the baby with the bath water.

Nii Lantey who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodio was reacting to a publication in the Graphic newspaper; which quoted him saying: “Zoomlion’s Contribution To National Development Laudable”
His comment follows Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZLG) and the World Bank’s decision to ban the Liberia subsidiary of ZGL for two years following bribery allegation.

The company was cited in a World Bank report to have paid bribes to facilitate contract execution and processing of invoices in connection to an emergency Monrovia urban sanitation project being financed by the World Bank.

Speaking in an interview to Kwami Sefa-Kayi, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye said in as much as he is not defending Zoomlion for what they did, they have contributed so much to the country’s economy and so “we should not be in a hurry to condemn them”.

According to him, the Trade and Industry ministry tries as much as possible to defend Ghanaian industries and so Zoomlion being one of them cannot be left on ‘their own; especially with the allegation of bribery’

“They have employed over 20,000 Ghanaians but that doesn’t mean we support and encourage them to engage in bribery and corruption. However, we will rather correct the situation and ensure that it doesn’t occur again…I am not defending Zoomlion for what they did but as a trade and industry Minister, whatever affects a trader or an industry, affects me also and that is why I feel their contribution to development should be lauded. We must find ways to identify their shortfalls and help them overcome it”. He asserted.