American Companies in Ghana Support the Government in the Fight Against COVID-19

Accra, GHANA 15 April 2020. The American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) Ghana, is providing significant financial, technological and logistical resources to support the Government of Ghana’s fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“AmCham Ghana welcomes measures to combat the coronavirus, which will ensure that the virus does not spread further and protects at risk groups from COVID-19. The Chamber is poised to support the government to address logistical constraints faced by Ghana’s health sector while monitoring the impact of the pandemic across the country. We are also actively working to support frontline workers and are committed to supporting the government’s overall response to COVID-19,” Ayesha Bedwei, President of AmCham Ghana remarked.

In March 2020, the Chamber conducted the COVID-19 Business Impact Survey. The aim of the survey was to assess the impact of the outbreak and to highlight potential outcomes for businesses.

The survey which covered a wide range of industries including manufacturing, oil & gas, transportation and education, found that:

  • 50% of businesses have had their operations severely impacted by COVID-19.
  • Only 35% of businesses had plans in place to preserve business continuity and build enterprise resilience during a pandemic.
  • 85% of the businesses surveyed would experience supply chain disruption should movement continue to be restricted within the country.

In addition to the government’s efforts to minimize the economic impact of the pandemic, several U.S businesses are making significant contributions to the fight against COVID-19 across Africa and Ghana.

The Mastercard Foundation has committed approximately GHS90m to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups in Ghana during the economic downturn caused by COVID-19. The foundation is working with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to support three million youth 70 percent being young women, over the next 10 years.

Newmont Ghana has provided US$100,000 to support the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine to procure COVID-19 testing kits. Newmont is supporting the Asutifi and Birim District Assemblies, and the Ahafo North Municipal Authority to support the local authorities’ efforts to fight the pandemic. Additionally, Newmont Corporation has established a US$20 million fund to help host communities, governments and employees combat COVID-19.

The Coca Cola Company and the Coca Cola Foundation have committed over US$120million to curb the spread of COVID-19. The specific allocation to Ghana is currently unknown and will be announced shortly. In addition, the company in partnership with its NGO partners, has contributed resources towards public education and has provided personal protective kits and beverages to all frontline workers.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has provided GHS 100,000.00 to support the Government of Ghana’s COVID-19 Fund. At a global level, J&J is mobilizing resources to develop a vaccine which could potentially be approved under emergency authorization by 2021. J&J and its partners have committed over US$1billion to co-fund COVID-19 research, development and clinical trials.

Globally, Mastercard has committed US$25 million in seed funding to the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, a global initiative in collaboration with Wellcome and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to speed-up the response to the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying, assessing, developing, and scaling-up treatments.

The Visa Foundation has pledged US$ 210 million in funding to support frontline NGOs and small and micro enterprises that have been financially impacted due to the pandemic. US$ 10 million of the funding will be used to provide international emergency assistance to frontline public health charities and global food aid. US $ 200 million will be provided over a five- year period to assist small and micro-enterprises globally to support the economic advancement of women.

Microsoft has made freely available one of its Office 365 Applications-Microsoft Teams-a videoconferencing, chat and team collaboration platform to help businesses, schools and individuals with remote working and learning navigate these challenging times.

IBM is supporting remote working and distance education efforts through its online learning platform (www.digitalnationafrica.com) to provide free online training on new technologies with certification and online job search engine.

AmCham Ghana commends the government’s efforts to address the COVID-19 crisis. For updates on support from American companies in Ghana’s fight against COVID-19 visit www.amchamghana.org/covid-19-support

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For more information, contact:
Simon Madjie,
Executive Secretary, Tel: 0244146585,
American Chamber of Commerce, Email: executivesecretary@amchamghana.org

Old Mutual ,175 Years Of Doing Great Things Across Africa And The World

Old Mutual Ghana is a Life Insurance and Pension Trust Company that provides life assurance and great pension services to customers in Ghana.

The Group was established in Cape Town in 1845 as South Africa’s first mutual life insurance company, offering financial security in uncertain times.

Their purpose is to help customers thrive by enabling them to achieve their lifetime financial goals while investing their funds in ways that will create a positive future for them, their families, their communities and broader society.

In this way, Old Mutual significantly contribute to improving the lives of customers and their communities while ensuring a sustainable future for the business.

Old Mutual now employ more than 30 000 people and operate in 14 countries across two regions:

Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, and eSwatini)

Asia (China)

Old Mutual has been operating in Ghana since 2013, having acquired a majority stake in Provident Life Assurance. The company operates as Old Mutual Life Assurance Company (Ghana) Limited and Old Mutual Pensions Trust Ltd.

Their purpose is to help customers thrive by enabling them to achieve their lifetime financial goals while investing their funds in ways that will create a positive future for them, their families, their communities and broader society.

This they do with an excellently assembled leadership team who are poised to take the business to the lofty heights that Old mutual is noted for.

For the last 175 years, they have delivered value to people, their families, businesses, communities and the countries in which they operate,

These are a few things Old Mutual has done for their customers and stakeholders:

  • built their dreams and fund their ambitions with them (savings, investments)
  • secured their futures (retirement, pension funds)
  •  protected them from the inevitabilities of life and built their legacies (risk, short term insurance)
  •  taught their children (education/investments plans, responsible business education initiatives)
  • supported their passions (sponsorship initiatives)
  • uplifted their communities (corporate social investment)
  • and preserved our environment (water plant, responsible investment)

We have delivered great outcomes for our customers and the public and we will indeed celebrate our heritage with them.

After operating for such a long time, you can be rest assured that all that experience will be passed on to the Ghanaian market.

We’ve seen it all. And, if we’ve learnt anything in this time it’s this:

THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO PEOPLE (AND TO OLD MUTUAL) HAVEN’T CHANGED. ‘WHY’ WE DO THINGS IS CONSTANT. IT’S THE HOW THAT CHANGES AS THE WORLD DOES.

You can trust us to champion our customers and be their most trusted lifetime partner, passionate about helping them achieve their financial goals.

AmCham – AGA Africa Akwaaba Reception For Visiting US Attorneys General

AmCham Ghana and AGA Africa on Tuesday, March 3, hosted the visiting Attorneys General from the United States. The AGs were in the country to participate in the 2nd annual Attorney General Alliance Conference.

The delegation was made up of Letitia James of New York, Karl Racine of Washington, D.C., Denise N. George of Virgin Islands, Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Aaron Ford of Nevada, and Kwame Raoul of Illinois.

The reception allowed the visiting Attorneys to interact with business and legal professionals in the AmCham community, and establish relations to further strengthen the collaboration between Ghana and the United State, particularly the diaspora, to improve the country’s legal system.

Also present at the reception were the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan, AmCham Ghana President, Ayesha Bedwei, Former AmCham Presidents, Phillipe Ayivor and Mona Bowd, AmCham Ghana founding member, Herbert Morrison, and other members and associates of the chamber.

Mona Boyd, CEO of Landtours Ghana, shared her experience as an African-American returnee and talked about her company’s work in providing a great experience for visiting Africans from the diaspora.  Learn More About Landtours

The AGA Africa Conference is primarily focused on tackling transcontinental crime.  Issues including human trafficking, counterfeit medicines, cybersecurity, and money laundering.

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Appolonia City Shares Its Business Portfolio With AmCham Guests

Appolonia City (Rendeavour) shared its business with guests at the AmCham Development Financing Forum. The presentation was part of the chamber’s new initiative to allow members to share their business and services with participants at AmCham events.

Ayesha Abdulrahaman, Senior Real Estate Advisor (Commercial), took participants through Rendeavour’s Ghana business and shared details on their 2,325-acre master-planned seamless live-work-play satellite city complete with residential, retail, commercial, educational, healthcare and recreational facilities city in Accra. Learn more.

U.S. – Ghana Digital Forum

AmCham Ghana, on Monday, March 2, held the U.S. – Ghana Digital Forum on the theme; Securing Ghana’s Cyberspace for Future Digital Growth.

The forum was an AmCham IT committee meeting with government agencies and other stakeholders to gain a better understanding of each other’s activities and perspectives in securing the country’s cyberspace.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister for Communications, Vincent Sowah Odotie (MP), shared some policies and programs that are being implemented by the government of Ghana to build a resilient and robust digital ecosystem.

He mentioned the government’s efforts in fighting cybercrime through capacity building in the judiciary, and the development of the country’s incident response capabilities with the establishment of the National Computer Emergency Response Team at the National Cyber Security Centre.

“Ghana has also ratified two international conventions namely the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Data Protection (Malabo Convention), and the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention), making her the 5th country to ratify to both treaties,” Hon. Odotie added.

Other speakers at the event included AmCham Ghana President, Ayesha Bedwei, and the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan, who stressed the importance of developing new habits to deal with cyber threats.

The forum also featured a panel discussion on the Cyber Security Bill, fake news, the role of data privacy/protection in securing communication and data storage, the state of the nation’s connectivity infrastructure, and the government’s initiative to establish Ghana as a leader in ICT innovation in the sub-region by 2023.

The panel was made up of Mr. Owusu Bediako-Poku, Director of Operations at the National Cyber Security Centre, Mr. Kwaku Kyei Ofori, Deputy Director-General at the National Information Technology Agency, and Prof. Kwaku Appiah-Adu, Head of the Delivery Unit, Office of the Vice President.

The session was moderated by Franklin Asare, Country Director at Oracle / AmCham IT Committee Chairman.

Also present at the forum were executives from VISA, Uber, PwC, IBM, Emergent Technology, National Information Technology Agency, KPMG, Oracle Corporation, American Tower Corporation, National Cyber Security Centre, Office of the Vice President, the Bank of Ghana, and representatives from other AmCham member companies.

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AmCham Development Financing Forum

The chamber, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Thursday, February 27, 2020, held a forum to discuss financing development through the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC). 

James Lykos, Primary DFC Liaison for USAID/Ghana, took participants through the institutional structure, tools, and capabilities of the DFC. He also explained the eligibility requirements of the program.  

The DFC is a $60 billion program to invest in sectors ranging from critical infrastructure, energy, technology to health care, and financing for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in Low-income (LICs) or lower-middle-income (LMICs) countries. 

“The DFC is equipped with a more than doubled investment cap of $60 billion and new financing tools such as equity financing, debt financing, political risk insurance, and technical development.

“With the $60 billion cap, the DFC would be shared among Africa, Latin America, and Asia, with each continent receiving approximately $20 billion under the initiative,” he said.

He stated that the DFC consolidated and modernized the Overseas Private Investment Corporate (OPIC) and the Development Credit Authority (DCA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The initiative is designed to help businesses to expand into emerging markets, finance solutions to the most critical challenges facing the developing world and reinforces US foreign policy and national security interests.

Click here to download the presentation for more information on the DFC. Email James Lykos, Primary DFC Liaison for USAID/Ghana at jlykos@usaid.gov for specific questions about how the DFC can apply to your projects. 

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The Capital Group Limited | AmCham Member of the Month

The Capital Group Limited (TCGL) is a Management Consulting firm established under the Companies Act of Ghana, 1963 (Act 179) on 22nd May 1996 and commencement of business on the 24th May 1996 to provide management consulting services in Human Resource, Training and Organizational Development, Facilities Management, Financial Management, Financial Advisory Services, and Event Management services for the public and private sectors in Ghana. Originally in the form of two wholly-owned subsidiaries – Capital Consulting Limited and Capital Factors and Debt Management Services Limited – the group consolidated into one company, The Capital Group Limited by the close of 2004.

The company in line with its vision has built a multi-cultural workforce that allows it to build on the expertise of its non-executive directors and management team in the areas of Recruitment, Contract Staffing, Training, People and Project Management, and Financial Advisory Services. Over the years, our emphasis on quality coupled with our business philosophy of “The Power of Partnership” has earned us the trust of our clients.

We have developed deep relationships with clients in various sectors including Insurance, Banking, Mining, Manufacturing and Construction, Oil and Gas, Hospitality, Aviation, Telecommunication Services, and Engineering.

 

Group’s Full Range of Services

  1. Human Resource Services:
  • Recruitment
  • Contract/Temporary Staffing
  • Staff-Outsourcing
  • Consulting
  • Talent Management Solutions- Harrison Assessment
  • Staff Screening
  • HR Audit
  • Functional HR Outsourcing
  1. Training and Organizational Development:
  • Corporate Training
  • Leadership Retreat and Development
  • Change Management
  • Organizational Development
  • Customer Service Training (Representative/Consultant of the Service Quality Institute of USA).
  • Reliability Maintenance and Engineering Training
  • Effective Debt Recovery and Negotiations Skills Training
  • Corporate Image and Grooming
  • Supervisory Skills for Efficiency and Performance Training
  • Overcoming the Dysfunctions of a Team, Leadership and Management Skills Training
  1. Event Management:
  • International Workshops
  • Public Educational Seminars
  • Conferences
  • Annual People Challenge Summit (HR and IR Conference)
  • Maintenance Engineering Conference.
  1. Industrial Relations:
  • Collective Bargaining
  • Negotiation
  • Employee Relational Management
  1. E-Learning Solutions
  2. Financial Services
  • Financial Advisory Services
  • Debt Recovery
  • Receiver/Manager Function
  • Factoring

CLIENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS

  • GCB BANK LIMITED
  • FBN BANK LIMITED
  • TOTAL PETROLEUM GHANA
  • GHANA BAUXITE COMPANY LIMITED
  • CARGILL
  • GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • GRAPHIC PACKAGING
  • AVIAT NETWORK
  • ITALIAN TRADE AGENCY
  • JAY KAY LTD
  • MOBILITY INT.
  • DUNLOP CONVEYOR BELTING
  • IHRMP
  • GOLDFIELDS GHANA LTD
  • NEDCO

Learn more

Mastercard Joins AmCham Ghana

The chamber is pleased to announce the world’s fastest payment processing network, Mastercard, as our new Platinum Member.

For more than 50 years, Mastercard has been using their technology and expertise to make payments safer, simpler and smarter. They know safety and security are the top priorities of their customers, cardholders, and partners, that’s why they won’t stand still in developing new and better ways to keep payments safe.

Innovation is at the heart of Mastercard’s 50-year history. They take an innovative, value-driven approach to the solutions they create and the services they offer, making transactions faster, easier, and more convenient and secure.

As technology advances, devices change and payment methods adapt, Mastercard continually innovate to ensure the safety of billions of electronic payments wherever and whenever they occur. Their goal is to build a World Beyond Cash® where every person, every payment and every device is protected.

What started as a small group of bankers is now a driving force in the payments industry and providing the technology that’s leading the way toward a World Beyond Cash. Learn more here 

About the American Chamber of Commerce (Ghana)

The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Ghana is the representative arm of U.S businesses and subsidiaries voluntarily working to create an environment where businesses can thrive between Ghanaian and American communities. AmCham exists to promote commercial, economic, educational and cultural ties between the United States of America and the Republic of Ghana. The Chamber is one of the 118 affiliates of the U.S Chamber of Commerce, which is the world’s largest business association with over one million members worldwide.

www.amchamghana.org

Delta Air Lines – AmCham Ghana Business Reception

Delta Air Lines Ghana partnered with AmCham Ghana, U.S. Commercial Service, Devtraco Plus, and Fidelity Bank to host the Delta Business Reception at the Kempinski Gold Coast City hotel on Thursday, January 27, 2020.

Delta used the opportunity to introduce KLM as a new partner of the airline. Present at the event was the Country Manager for KLM, Dick van Nieuwenhuyzen.

The event’s market place theme was first of its kind, and guests were very pleased with the idea. It allowed attendees to ‘work the room’ and interact with ease.

About 100 guests showed up from different companies, including CEOs and Managers of companies like Consolidated Shipping, Energy Global, Petroleum Commission, BOST, Webster University, MODEC, McDan Shipping Company, and Intercon Security. The Board and Platinum Members of AmCham Ghana were also in attendance.

Pakwo Shum, Delta Air Lines MD, welcomed guests and handed over to Eloina Baddoo, Sales Manager, to talk about the aim of the event and acknowledge Delta’s partners. AmCham, Fidelity and Devtraco Plus were allowed to speak to guests.

The program featured a raffle which saw a lucky guest go home with a free Delta Air Lines ticket.

Music for the event was provided by the Air Force band and Ushered by the Delta Air Lines protocol team.

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Webster University Ghana: A Global Experience

The focus of institutions of higher learning is fast shifting from simply developing the knowledge base of students to the provisions of a well-rounded student-learning experience. Webster University Ghana, the only international campus location of Webster University on the African continent, is uniquely positioned to provide this opportunity.

A thriving liberal arts school and worldwide institution, Webster University’s mission is to ensure a high-quality learning experience that transforms students for global citizenship and individual excellence. Since the doors of Webster University Ghana were opened in 2014, students from across the world have enrolled at Webster Ghana each year and have benefitted from the cultural diversity and enriching academic environment. The modern campus, which has residential accommodations – is centrally located in Ghana’s capital Accra and in the much-coveted neighborhood of East Legon.

Currently, Webster University Ghana has enrolled both undergraduate and graduate students from over 25 different countries, spanning four continents. Furthermore, Webster receives a rotation of international visiting faculty every few weeks to teach students in both the graduate and undergraduate programs.

Christa Sanders – Campus Director – Webster University Ghana

The university’s Ghana campus offers a growing number of undergraduate majors, an Africana studies minor, and on the graduate side, a Master’s of Business Administration as well as an MA in International Relations. Graduate classes are held in the evenings and weekends only, to allow working professionals to continue work while pursuing a graduate degree.

Webster University Ghana offers a practical, hands-on approach to learning with small classrooms, not exceeding 25 students per space. Students are exposed to new ways of thinking and encouraged to strengthen their critical-thinking skills through ongoing debates both inside and outside of the classroom setting. Webster Ghana alumni are also part of the larger, elite network of over 190,000 alumni worldwide.

Webster Ghana is accredited by the National Accreditation Board (NAB) of Ghana and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) in the United States (US). All students receive a degree issued from the US and, regardless of specific degree area, follow the same curriculum worldwide.

The home campus in St Louis, Missouri, has an impressive track record of over 105 years of providing high-quality American education. Scholarships are also available for students and the Ghana campus is fortunate to have a lower tuition rate than the other international campuses where Webster has presence.

Webster University provides the opportunity for students to also study abroad during their course of study. Students may elect to study abroad for a nine-week term, semester or an entire academic year at any of Webster University’s international campuses. The current international campuses outside Ghana include Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, US, Thailand, China, Greece, the UK, and Uzbekistan. Webster also provides the World Traveler program which provides a free plane ticket to a campus of your choice!

Unlike most universities with only an August year start, Webster has 5 enrollment periods per year, allowing flexible start dates. Prospective students can apply at any time during the year and begin in August, October, January, March, and May. Learn More