Chamber of Commerce inaugurates council members

The National Council and Central Executive Committee of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has been inaugurated with a call to exert its expertise and experiences to change the Chamber’s fortunes and position it to be more meaningful for the country’s development.

With 17-member representations from seven Chamber districts across the country, the two bodies are expected to assist national executives effectively steer the Chamber’s agenda. They were drawn from Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Cape Coast, Wa and Tarkwa, and some officials from the national executives.

Performing the swearing-in ceremony in Accra, chairman of the committees and president of the GCCI, Nana Appiahgyei Dankawoso I, reminded members that the Chamber continues to be the leading business advocacy group in the country for national development -- a principle the new committee members must not depart from; and he challenged them to rededicate their commitment toward the Chamber’s progress.

He advocated aparadigm shift in the country’s agricultural sector, and urged Ghanaians to consider revisiting the ‘Operation Feed yourself Programme’ to ensure food security and also create more employment avenues in the agricultural sector value chain.

“If you help me we will move the country’s agricultural sector forward and advise government to see how best we can revive the argic sector, and even revisit the operation feed your self-concept and also improve on investment -- especially on the cocoa side.”

The ‘Operation Feed yourself Programme’ was introduced in the 1970s by the Acheampong regime, and enabled Ghanaians to produce enough to feed the national demand.

Speaking on the Chamber’s plans, he said as part of the expansion project of the Chamber, it had acquired a land at Osu where it will build its ultra-modern office complex as well as open new offices in Techiman and Koforidua.

“We also intend to have a training school to impart entrepreneurial skills to students, as well as organise capacity building training programmes for members. We also hope to develop more programmes and initiatives to motivate more women to start their own businesses.”

Nana Dankawoso explained that the Chamber is also developing its five-year strategic plan, which will serve as a direction and guide for the Association.

Mr. Ken Thompson-Chief Executive Officer, Dalex Financial Services, called for a boost in the agricultural sector and an improvement in the lives of the country’s farmers.

“The private sector is the game-changer, the only thing that can take this country forward is the private sector.

“We cannot be a wealthy economy if our farmers are poor. For me, I am going to do everything in my power to promote the private sector and position it as a game-changer.  We need to move this country from the nation of shopkeepers it is to a nation that produces; and the only area that we have comparative advantage in is the agriculture value chain. We will continue to be poor if our farmers are poor,” he said.

He expressed concern about the nation’s importation of tomatoes from Burkina Faso and the lack of growing diverse crops, adding that it is easier to transport tomatoes from Burkina Faso to Ghana than to transport the same commodity within the country due to poor road networks.

Mr. Mark Badu Aboagye, the Chief Executive Officer-GCCI, said advocacy for best business practices, export development programme for members, the organisation of trade fairs and exhibitions, the organisation of consultation services and development of the human capital of its members are some of the Chamber’s core functions.

He said for the first time in the history of the GCCI, it will organise an awards ceremony to honour and motivate its deserving members this year.

He said the Ghana Port and Harbour Authority (GPHA) has also given the Chamber a land at Tema to construct its Tema Branch.

Mr. Wilson Atta Krofah, former President of the Chamber, indicated it is an important vehicle for development that is recognised across the African continent; adding that the chamber has the potential of reducing unemployment figures in the country if government takes it seriously and works hand-in-hand for a common purpose.

“The private sector is key to the country’s socio-economic development, and as industry players there is a need to keep government on its toes -- especially in matters that border on the GCCI,” he remarked.