AmCham Ghana Business Reception With 2019 African Green Revolution Forum Delegates

AmCham Ghana, under the auspices of the U.S. Ambassador and the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, hosted selected delegates of the just ended 2019 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) for a business reception.

The reception which was hosted at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana allowed AmCham Ghana members to interact with the selected delegates, share ideas and establish relations for possible future collaborations.

The AGRF is considered the world’s most important and impactful forum for African agriculture, pulling together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward.

Since the first AGRF was held in Ghana in 2010, the Forum has annually brought together Heads of State, Ministers, business leaders, development partner leadership, researchers, thought leaders, farmer organization representatives, youth entrepreneurs, and other critical stakeholders to focus on the actions and policies needed to move the continental agenda forward.

AmCham Ghana Hosts Governor Of Mississippi, Phil Bryant For A Dinner Reception

The Chamber on August 15, 2019, hosted the visiting Governor of Mississippi, Phil Bryant and his trade delegation for a Dinner Reception in Accra. The event was to allow the Governor to meet with AmCham Ghana Executives and business leaders for a discussion on possible business collaborations.

Governor Bryant is in Ghana to expand and promote trade and investment opportunities between Mississippi and Ghana. During his remarks, he said, a lot of investors based in Mississipi are interested in doing business in Ghana, the reason for which he is in the country to build an economic and investment bridge to facilitate future trade.

AmCham Ghana President, Joe Mensah, welcomed the Governor and his delegation. He shared with them some activities that the Chamber was engaged in and assured the Governor that Ghana is the best place to do business on the continent.

The Governor also visited AmCham member, Strategic Security Systems Limited, a solar panel assembly plant in Kpone in the Greater Accra Region, where he saw first-hand the positive effects of U.S. Government’s engagement in facilitating bilateral trade and investment ties under the Power Africa program through the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

 

 

Also present at the event were, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Ghana Embassy, Christopher J. Lamora, USAID Ghana Deputy Chief of Mission, Steven E. Hendrix, Consular Section Chief at the U.S. Ghana Embassy, Jayne Howell, and other Mission officers.

 

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AmCham Ghana Visits Landtours Corporate Travel Ticketing Centre

The American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana, on Tuesday, August 13, 2019, paid a visit to the new Landtours Corporate Travel Ticketing Centre.  In a bid to expand its offering and ensure that their scope of service is beneficial to a larger client-base at home, the Corporate Travel division of Landtours has opened a brand new airline ticketing centre right in the heart of Labone.

The Corporate Travel division offers a multi-faceted travel service to corporate clients that takes care of all travel needs. Not only can they book all your staff flights- Landtours has the capacity to make meal reservations, secure hotel accommodations, and arrange transportation services including airport transfers, car rentals, and limousine services worldwide.

Landtours realizes that travel can be challenging for individuals to manage and it is especially demanding for families and working professionals who do not have the time to switch back and forth between comparison websites that offer no real security or guarantees. Landtours is, therefore, offering a service to walk-in clients that take care of all their needs. On the 20th of May, 2019 the brand new airline ticketing centre was opened to the general public to walk in and inquire about or purchase tickets on all major airlines.

Landtours wishes to take the burden of travel planning off by doing all the hard work comparing routes and fares. There is also the added security of dealing with qualified and trained agents who are equipped with the skill to book the best routes and uncover the most competitive fares. Their ticketing centre delivers savings, service, and security with the ultimate goal of providing greater value to the client and satisfaction to all.

There will be an ongoing Early Bird Promotion running to award customers who purchase tickets an array of special prizes from free airport transfers, airport lounge access and many more.

Landtours Ghana Limited is a full-service destination management company based in Accra, Ghana and operating in Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Gambia, and Sao Tome. Landtours has operated in Ghana for 23 years offering tour packages, ground handling, conference services, car rental services, corporate ticketing, and much more.

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AmCham Ghana Hosts 2019 U.S. Ghana Business Reception In Honor Of Nancy Pelosi

Monday, July 29, 2019. The American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana, organized the 2019 AmCham U.S. – Ghana Business Reception to host the U.S. Congressional delegation led by Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. The event was part of Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the country to hold high-level discussions with Ghana’s President, Speaker of Parliament, and other senior government officials and was attended by the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan, the Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, AmCham Ghana Members and associates.

Remarks by Joe Mensah, President of AmCham Ghana

Joe Mensah, in his opening remarks, highlighted the important relationship between Ghana and the U.S. as well as the contribution of AmCham to the Ghanaian economy.

He stressed the need for a conducive environment to attract investors and called on American companies to take advantage of the common language and similarity of laws between Ghana and the U.S. to invest in infrastructure development in the country. According to him, American companies could instill discipline to reduce the level of corruption which has been the bane of the African continent for a long time.

He commended Speaker Pelosi for her good works at the U.S. Congress and stressed the need to further improve the relationship between Ghana and the United States.

 

Remarks by Stephanie S. Sullivan, United States Ambassador to Ghana

Ambassador Sullivan remarked that Speaker Pelosi has long been engaged in building the framework of U.S.-Africa foreign and commercial relationships from the original enactment of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to its ten-year extension in 2015.

She highlighted the role of the Congressional Black Caucus in the development of African countries and underscored the investments and values of American companies in Ghana.

She went on to commend the leadership of AmCham Ghana for the advocacy work in advancing policies that create jobs and spur economic growth in both Ghana and the U.S.

 

Remarks by Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives in the United States

House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi introduced the members of her delegation and expressed her appreciation to the leadership and members of AmCham Ghana. She stated that AmCham is another arm of diplomacy for the U.S. and a representation of America’s private sector in Ghana -that interacts with the private and public sector.

She highlighted the importance of the historic friendly relationship between Ghana and the U.S., stating that Ghana is a very special country to the United States. She further stressed the importance of the role of AmCham to the economic relationship between Ghana and the United States and finally called for infrastructure investment to address climate change.

 

Remarks by Karen Bass, Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus

Karen expressed her excitement about the trip to Ghana and noted that the work of the Congressional Black Caucasus in Africa is to ensure that the U.S. views Africa as a continent and a partner, and promote U.S. business involvement on the continent. She noted that the Congressional Black Caucus has worked on legislation which will facilitate business opportunities in Africa for businesses in the United States.

The meeting ended on a high note as Nancy Pelosi and the Congressional delegation danced to some Ghanaian music. The leaders of AmCham also presented gifts to Speaker Pelosi and members of the Chamber had the opportunity to interact with the Congressional delegation and dignitaries in attendance.

 

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Investment Meeting With Burger King General Manager – Africa Division, EMEA  

AmCham Ghana Exec. Secretary, Simon Majie had an investment meeting with Robert Lu, General Manager – Africa Division, EMEA at Burger King Corporation and other investors in Accra.

Robert Lu is in Ghana to engage with Burger King franchise owners, to prospect for the expansion of the brand and explore means to improve the supply chain for effective service delivery in Ghana.  Lu is also looking to get new franchisees to introduce Tim Hortons and Popeyes brands to the Ghanaian market.

Burger King currently has three restaurants in Accra and want to increase that number significantly in the next five years. Lu cited the country’s current favorable business climate as the reason for Burger King’s renewed interest in expanding its business in Ghana.

Tim Hortons Inc. (known as Tim Hortons Cafe and Bake Shop in some countries) is a fast-food restaurant chain, specializing in coffee and donut items. It is Canada’s largest quick-service restaurant chain; as of December 31, 2018, it had a total of 4,846 restaurants in 14 countries. The company has its headquarters in Toronto.

The company was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton (1930–1974) and Jim Charade (1934–2009), after an initial venture in hamburger restaurants. On August 26, 2014, Burger King agreed to purchase Tim Hortons for US$11.4 billion; the chain became a subsidiary of the Canadian holding company Restaurant Brands International, which is majority-owned by Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital. Learn more

Popeyes is an American multinational chain of fried chicken fast food restaurants founded in 1972 in New Orleans, Louisiana and headquartered in Miami, Florida. Since 2008, its full brand name is Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc.and it was formerly named Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits and Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits. It is currently a subsidiary of Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International.

Popeyes serves chicken dishes in mild and spicy flavors and offers sides such as red beans and rice, Cajun fries, mashed potatoes with Cajun-style gravy, Cajun rice, macaroni & cheese, and coleslaw. In addition to fried chicken, other entree items include a chicken-and-sausage jambalaya and po’ boy sandwiches. Learn more 

PYXERA Presents Concept Note On AmCham Ghana Pro Bono Support To YALI Regional Center

Country Director for PYXERA  Global, Barbara Gbologah-Quaye, presented the concept note on AmCham Ghana’s pro bono support to YALI Accra RLC to the President of AmCham Ghana, Joe Mensah and the Chamber’s Executive Secretary, Simon Madjie. Also present were the Project Director for the Accra Regional Leadership Center, Shola Safo-Duodu and, the Curriculum and Content Manager, Jasper Tetteh Ahafianyo.

The presentation of the concept note is a follow up to the MoU signed in March of 2019 between the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Accra Regional Leadership Center and the American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana to establish a framework for communication and collaboration between the organizations where AmCham will serve as a Resource Partner and  a Driver of Sustainability.

The document contained a timeline and overview of steps to take to achieve the goals contained in the MoU.

President of the Chamber, Joe Mensah commended PYXERA for creating the comprehensive document and was pleased to see the MoU move from the signing stage to implementation. He said AmCham is committed and ready to support YALI in training high-quality young leaders.

 

About AmCham Ghana

The American Chamber of Commerce (Ghana) is a voluntary association of professional and business people, working to create an environment where business 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.
Amcham is the first point of resort for sourcing business contacts for US Trade and Congressional delegations. Over the years, the Chamber has met with and briefed many Trade and Congressional delegations. Learn more…
About YALI

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) was launched by the United States government as a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders. The need to invest in grooming strong, results-oriented leaders comes out of the statistics: nearly 1 in 3 Africans are between the ages of 10 and 24, and approximately 60% of Africa’s total population is below the age of 35. Who will empower and lead these young Africans? Who will shape the future of business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, and public management? To answer these questions, YALI promotes three models designed to identify and empower young leaders: the YALI Mandela Washington Fellowship, YALI Network and now the establishment of Regional Leadership Centers across Africa.

Supporting this progress, the Accra Regional Leadership Centre (RLC), as part of the United States government initiative, Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI), will offer an innovative and game-changing leadership training program in Africa. The program will be hosted by Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), and the first cohort will walk through the doors on the 31st July 2014. Learn more…

AmCham Hosts Students And Faculty From Jackson State University

The American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana, on June 10, 2019, hosted students and faculty from the Jackson State University (JSU), Mississippi, as part of their short-term- faculty-led international experience that includes organized cultural, research, and experiential learning activity. At the meeting, the students interacted with the President and some members of AmCham as well as senior officials from the United States Embassy in Ghana on the socio-cultural and business environment in Ghana.

According to the students, their trip to various parts of the country gave them practical experience and a deeper understanding of the history and culture of Ghana – especially the transatlantic slave trade- as well as the Ghanaian business environment. They also expressed the desire to learn about the public health sector and the Ghanaian educational system.

Addressing the students, Mr. Joe Mensah, President of AmCham, stressed the importance of exchange programs that foster knowledge sharing between businesses and the academic community. He further stated that, AmCham Ghana is the most dynamic chamber in sub-Saharan Africa and that the Chamber supports all American companies and Americans in the country to ensure their success. He also noted that Ghana’s agriculture sector contribution to GDP declined over the years due to factors such as aging population and lack of interest from the youth among others. He was however optimistic of the progress currently being made in the sector and highlighted some investments American companies have made to revive the agriculture sector in the country. He then stressed the need for American companies to take advantage of the common language and the similarity of laws between Ghana and America to invest in the country and the African continent at large.

Members of the chamber, drawing from their years of experience in Ghana and other African countries, also educated the students on the services of AmCham, the business environment in Ghana, possible funding sources for American students, as well as the challenges in African national leadership.

In addition, Hannah Kamenepsky, Senior Commercial Officer of the U.S Embassy in Ghana, briefed the students on Ghana’s strong trade partnership with the U.S, its growing economy, and its attractive business environment.

Finally, Mr. Joe Mensah, in closing the meeting, thanked the students and also expressed his gratitude to the U.S Embassy for their support to AMCHAM over years.

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P&G Ghana Joins AmCham

The Chamber is pleased to announce Procter & Gamble (P&G) Ghana as a new member of our association of progressive businesses. Having fulfilled all registration requirements, P&G Ghana is now a Corporate Member of the American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana.

P&G Ghana started commercial operations in Ghana in 2016. The company expects that its dedicated and focused team in Ghana will improve P&G’s ability to distribute P&G branded products to the over 28 million local residents in Ghana.

They currently have a small team of about 10 employees but expect their local office to grow along with their business in Ghana.

AmCham Ghana Exec. Sec. Simon Madjie in a group photograph with P&G Ghana Executives.

Procter & Gamble Ghana supports the government’s economic policies that prioritize building a strong and resilient economy; setting up local P&G operations generates new direct and indirect jobs. It also serves hundreds of SMEs with their distributors’ operations.

During their three years of operations in Ghana, The company has engaged in a number of CSR activities. P&G’s Pampers hospital & mobile clinics touched the lives of over 300,000 young Ghanaian mothers and babies in 2018. The Company reached and provided feminine hygiene/puberty education programs to over 25 000 young girls by the end of 2016 and over 200,000 Ghanaian girls in 2018 with their Always keeping girls in School program.

AmCham Ghana Supports United Way Ghana For Nyansapo Literacy Project

The Chamber joined United Way Ghana to launch of the Nyansapo Literacy Project at the Ayebeng A &B Memorial Basic School in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

The Nyansapo Literacy Project is a United Way Ghana initiative which is sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana, to promote childhood literacy at the Ayebeng Memorial Primary School in Accra. The launch will kick start a weekly literacy engagement of students in lower primary and make reading books available in every classroom to encourage reading among students.

Speaking at the event, AmCham Ghana Executive Secretary, Simon Madjie, said the Chamber exists to promote investment between Ghana and the United States but also takes a keen interest in educating the future businessmen and women who will take charge of these investments. He said the Chamber is pleased to sponsor the Nyansapo Literacy Project and will be willing to offer further support in the future.

A major component of the project – ‘Library In A Box’ was presented to the school. Each class in the school was given a box of books to make materials accessible & inspire reading culture in pupils.

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THE U.S.-AFRICA BUSINESS CENTER HOSTS ‘LIVE THE LEGACY’: MANDELA CENTENNIAL BUSINESS FORUM WITH MADELEINE ALBRIGHT AND MYRON BRILLIANT

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth, and the 25th anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections, the U.S. Chamber’s U.S.-Africa Business Center and Mandela 100 Steering Committee convened U.S. and South African business executives, thought leaders, and civil society practitioners for a dialogue on inclusive economic growth in South Africa.

This forum featured remarks by Secretary Madeleine Albright, Former United States Secretary of State and Graca Machel, Humanitarian and Global Advocate for Women and Girls.

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