UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce
(UKGCC)

By UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC)

WGF: Please tell us about UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce. What was the thought behind establishing it, and what all does it do?

UKGCC: The UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) was established in 2016, with the support of the UK Government’s Department for International Trade (DIT), as a member-based trade association to facilitate and promote bilateral trade between the UK and Ghana via the three platforms of networking, advocacy and trade services.

Our Services include the following:

• Networking: UKGCC hosts several events throughout the year, giving our members the platform to build and raise their profiles, get invaluable personal referrals & word-of-mouth advertising, and explore business opportunities.

• Advocacy: As a strong, reputable and the most recognised voice of the UK-Ghana business community, the UKGCC directly engages with both the Ghana and UK governments, policy makers, opinion leaders and all relevant stakeholders by lobbying and advocating on the interests and concerns of our members.

• Trade Services: UKGCC facilitates bilateral trade between UK and Ghana through capacity-building and market-entry services such as research, due diligence, B2B engagements and trade facilitation, generally.

Ghana’s Vice President,
Mahamudu Bawumia,
at the UK-Ghana Investment Summit

WGF: Please tell us about the Business Excellence Awards of the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce.

UKGCC: The Business Excellence Awards was launched in 2017 to acknowledge excellence in business amongst companies operating in Ghana, and to create a platform for interaction between the Chambers’ members, top government officials, and other key actors in Ghana’s corporate community.

Iain Walker,
UK High Commissioner to Ghana, and
Patron of the UKGCC,
speaks at the UK-Ghana Investment Summit

WGF: COVID-19 has been a challenge for everyone worldwide. How did UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce manage its work during this period, and how did it try to help others?

UKGCC: UKGCC immediately moved its activities such as membership engagements, to a virtual environment from March 2020. Capacity-building webinars were immediately introduced on topics that were carefully curated to help business executives and member companies cope with the situation created by the global COVID-19 pandemic. We also introduced the Virtual Networking Series (VNetS) which offered our members the opportunity to continue to network and thrive in spite of the business challenges COVID-19 presented.

Adjoba Kyiamah,
UKGCC Executive Director speaks at the launch of
UKGCC’s Business Climate Survey Report

WGF: UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce has been actively holding webinars on several topics, including on building financial security. How has it been helping and educating people?

UKGCC: We have organised quite a number of webinars and each webinar offers unique benefits for our key stakeholders, namely members, partners, and general but targeted audience. Generally, the webinars seek to help and educate our stakeholders by sharing knowledge and ideas to position them to thrive during and post COVID-19. Specifically, the webinars on building financial security, for instance, have:

i. helped participants learn how to ensure a quick and sustained recovery during and post COVID-19;

ii. helped participants learn the benefits of collaborating with financial institutions on their COVID-19 recovery journey;

iii. equipped participants with the requisite information to guide their financial planning decision making;

iv. helped participants learn various reliable investment options and wealth management strategies for a secure financial future;

v. enhanced participants’ knowledge and understanding of business continuity planning and management;

vi. helped participants identify solutions to address failures or challenges during the implementation of business continuity plans;

vii. enhanced participants’ knowledge and understanding of cash management during crises;

viii. helped participants identify solutions to address cash flow failures and challenges;

ix. helped participants identify opportunities and solutions to address financial challenges confronting organisations, households and individuals; and

x. empowered participants to make educated decisions for their financial future.

UKGCC Members at a networking event

WGF: UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce has numerous prestigious names as members. What is the role of members in the organization?

UKGCC: Our members do not have specific roles in the Chamber. However, their unique backgrounds from different sectors such as telecommunication, oil marketing, law, agro-processing, banking and finance, and technology & IT, among others, make them rich sources for thought leadership.

Our bigger and more resilient member companies played the role of knowledge partners who shared their expertise with our members initially, and later with the general public through our webinars.

WGF: Please list some achievements of UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce.

UKGCC: 1. The only Chamber of Commerce in Ghana that was operational when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the WHO, and Ghana went into a lockdown.

2. Originators and authors of Ghana’s Business Climate Survey Report. The results of our two-time COVID-19 Business Impact Survey and recommendations were shared with the Government of Ghana.

3. Organiser of the UK-Ghana Investment Summit.

4. Organising Partner – Ghana Investment and Opportunities Summit (GHIOS).

WGF: How does UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce help in better business relations with UK and Ghana?

UKGCC: Reference is made to the answer to Question 1 (Our Services).

Specifically, our work – such as the Business Climate Survey Report, frequent capacity-building seminars and workshops, and networking events – has impacted legislation on taxes and influenced the general ease of doing business.

WGF: What all does UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce envision to achieve?

UKGCC: This year, we aim to:

1. Deepen the existing trade relationship between the UK-Ghana by working to ensure an increase in the number of trading partners;

2. Promote the UK-Ghana bilateral trade by extending it into other sectors such as arts and culture; and

3. Support the achievement of the UK-Ghana Business Council’s six priority areas to improve UK-Ghana trade.

WGF: What message would UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce like to give to entrepreneurs and the youth in general?

UKGCC: The youth is often urged to engage in entrepreneurship. This is excellent advice except the entrepreneurship journey is fraught with challenges and most youth embark upon it under-prepared.

Many studies into this area concur that most entrepreneurs give up within the first 5 years. Cash flow shortages, weak marketing strategies, time management, and hiring issues are few of the causes.

The UKGCC urges the youth and entrepreneurs to seek mentorship and build their capacity by joining trade associations such as the UKGCC. They stand to benefit tremendously from associating with larger companies, more experienced business executives; and the services these trade associations provide, thus avoiding the traps and pitfalls they are otherwise likely to fall victim to.