AmCham Ghana Visit Bunge Loders Croklaan

Last Wednesday, the Manager for Membership, External Relations, and Projects at the Amercian Chamber of Commerce Chamber in Ghana, Jane Okyere-Aduachie, paid a courtesy call to the General Manager of West Africa of Bunge Loders Croklaan, Santanu Kumar Bhuyan .

Bunge Loders Croklaan is a world leader in sourcing, processing, and supplying oilseed and grain products and ingredients. Founded in 1818, Bunge’s expansive network feeds and fuels a growing world, creating sustainable products and opportunities for more than 70,000 farmers and the consumers they serve in over 60 countries.

The company is headquartered in St. Louis and has almost 25,000 employees worldwide who stand behind more than 350 port terminals, oilseed processing plants, grain silos, and food and ingredient production and packaging facilities around the world.

Ghana Oil & Gas Conference 2024

The Ghana Upstream Petroleum Chamber, in partnership with AmCham Ghana, successfully hosted the Annual Oil & Gas Conference 2024 on September 25th and 26th at the Marriott Hotel Accra. The event was graced by the presence of the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, as the Guest of Honor.

The conference kicked off with opening remarks delivered by Theophilus Ahwireng, Managing Director of MODEC and Vice Chairman of the Chamber.

Day One of the conference focused on the pressing issues confronting the oil and gas industry. A key highlight was the presentation of the 2024 annual report on exploration and production.

On Day Two, the event shifted its attention to local content participation and critical topics such as gas monetization, local content deepening, and securing financing for Ghanaian service companies. An insightful panel discussion further explored these themes.

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AmCham Ghana and US Commercial Service participates in Minexpo 2024.

AmCham Ghana’s president, Kimathi Kuenyehia, and executive secretary, Simon Madjie, participated in the 2024 Minexpo in Las Vegas. Ghana’s delegation to Minexpo was organized by the US Commercial Service with over 200 participants from Ghana. The Minexpo is the largest gathering of all players in the mining industry around the world. The major players exhibited the latest equipment, technology, and services in the sector with the focus on connecting buyers and sellers. C-suite executives from the mining industry also discussed the latest trends in the industry.

This year’s Minexpo was attended by over 44,000 industry players around the world, with approximately 45% of attendees being international delegates. There was also a significant growth in the participation of mining regulators and governments. Delegates from Ghana participated in the US Department of Commerce roundtable on building efficient supply chain systems in the critical minerals sector. The critical minerals event featured presentations from Ghana, Tanzania, Kazakhstan, US Export-Import Bank, US Trade and Development Agency, US AFRICOM and other companies including Cummins, Caterpillar, etc. Members of the Ghanaian delegation also visited the expo floor to interact with manufacturers of new equipment, technology, and services.

Other mining services companies seeking expansion into the Ghanaian market also made presentations to members of the delegation. The Government of Ghana delegation also held meetings with the US government team led by the Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary and Director General for the US and Foreign Commercial Service, Aruna Venkataraman.

 

2nd Distinguished Speaker Series on FDI with Hon Alan Kyeremateng

On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, the consortium of reputable trade associations, led by the American Chamber of Commerce in Ghana, convened at the Alisa Hotel in North Ridge for the 2nd Distinguished Speaker Series on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Ghana. The event was co-hosted by the Ghana Netherlands Business & Culture Council, Spain-Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Ghana South Africa Business Chamber, Canada-Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), and the Chamber of Commerce & Industry, France.

The 2nd Distinguished Speaker Series on FDI keynote speaker was Hon. Alan Kyeremateng, Presidential Candidate for the upcoming elections and Leader of the Movement for Change (MFC). His presentation, centered around his Great Transformational Plan (GTP), outlined strategies to attract and retain investment in critical sectors of the Ghanaian economy, including the extractive industry, agriculture, digital economy, and infrastructure.

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U.S. Embassy Agriculture Counselor Visits AmCham Ghana

On Wednesday, September 11, 2024,  Mariano Beillard Agriculture Counselor, and representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at the U.S. Embassy in Ghana paid a courtesy call to the secretariat to discuss the current agriculture climate and advocate for further economic development.

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AmCham Ghana Reception In Honor of the New Commercial Counselor

Last Thursday, September 5th, AmCham Ghana hosted a reception honoring CS Ghana Commercial Counselor Rachel Kreissl, Commercial Officer Laurie Kelleher, and representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Ghana. Django Brothers, United Airlines, Voltic, Coca-Cola, and Tampico proudly supported the event. This engagement is designed to foster a valuable opportunity for members to network with industry professionals and create new business relationships.

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Distinguished Speaker Series on FDI with H.E. John Dramani Mahama

On Thursday, August 29, 2024, a consortium of reputable trade associations, led by the American Chamber of Commerce in Ghana, Ghana Netherlands Business & Culture Council, Spain-Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Ghana South Africa Business Chamber, Canada-Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Japan External Trade Office, and the Chamber of Commerce & Industry, France, launched the Distinguished Speaker Series at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.

This initiative aimed to foster high-level discussions on the future of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Ghana. The speaker for the occasion was the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)- H.E. John Dramani Mahama.

The dialogue sought to address policies implemented by political leaders to attract and retain FDI, which had been instrumental in Ghana’s economic growth. FDI had contributed significantly to job creation, tax revenue generation, increased capital flows, technology and skills transfer, export development, and infrastructure enhancement. Since 1990, foreign investors had contributed approximately $47.2 billion to the Ghanaian economy, solidifying Ghana’s position as a major recipient of FDI in the subregion.

H.E. John Dramani Mahama outlined challenges hindering FDI inflows, including regulatory complexities, contract violations, macroeconomic instability, and corruption. He proposed policy interventions to address these challenges and attract more FDI, such as simplifying regulatory processes, ensuring contract sanctity, improving macroeconomic stability, reforming state-owned enterprises, providing incentives for investors, and strengthening investment promotion agencies.

The speaker identified specific sectors for targeted FDI promotion, including the extractive industry, digital economy, infrastructure, and agriculture. During the Q&A session, H.E. John Dramani Mahama discussed strategies used to attract significant FDI during his time in office, focusing on the oil and gas sector. He emphasized the importance of streamlining bureaucratic processes, coordinating government agencies, and utilizing debt service escrow accounts and public-private partnerships to finance infrastructure projects.
H.E. John Dramani Mahama emphasized the crucial role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in economic growth and development, particularly for developing nations like Ghana. He highlighted several challenges hindering FDI inflows into Ghana, including regulatory complexities, contract violations, macroeconomic instability, and corruption.

H.E. John Dramani Mahama outlined a series of policy interventions to address these challenges and attract more FDI. These included:
* Simplifying regulatory processes and reducing bureaucratic burdens
* Ensuring contract sanctity and resolving payment issues
* Improving macroeconomic stability and reducing inflation
* Reforming state-owned enterprises
* Providing incentives for investors
* Strengthening investment promotion agencies

H.E. John Dramani Mahama identified specific sectors for targeted FDI promotion, such as the extractive industry, digital economy, infrastructure, and agriculture.
Following the keynote speech, there was a fireside chat moderated by Mr. Joe Mensah, Senior Vice President for Kosmos Energy. During the Q&A session with H.E. John Dramani Mahama, the former President discussed strategies used to attract significant FDI during his time in office, particularly focusing on the oil and gas sector.

H.E. John Dramani Mahama highlighted the importance of streamlining bureaucratic processes and coordinating government agencies to facilitate investment. He mentioned the use of debt service escrow accounts and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to finance infrastructure projects without government funding. Additionally, the speaker explained how state-owned enterprises were incentivized to attract FDI by granting them more autonomy and access to private sector financing.

H.E. John Dramani Mahama emphasized the importance of effective governance, bureaucratic efficiency, and innovative financing mechanisms in creating a favorable investment climate.

The Executive Secretary of AmCham Ghana, Simon Madjie Esq, inquired about the government’s tardy payments to companies for goods and services, as well as the inconsistent localization policies that were jeopardizing Ghana’s attractiveness as an investment destination.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the next speaker in the Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS) on FDI.

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U.S. Embassy Commercial Counselor Rachel Kreissl visits AmCham Ghana

U.S. Embassy Commercial Counselor Rachel Kreissl visits AmCham Ghana

On Thursday, August 15th, Rachel Kreissl, the newly appointed Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Embassy Ghana, and Commercial Officer Laurie Kelleher, paid a courtesy call to the secretariat to discuss the current business climate and advocate for further economic development.

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AmCham Ghana Engages With American Tower Corporation Ghana (ATC Ghana)

On Thursday, July 11, representatives from American Towers Corporation (ATC) paid a courtesy call to the Secretariat to discuss the current business environment and advocate for further development.

ATC Ghana is the largest independent owner and operator of shared wireless infrastructure in Ghana. ATC provides towers, in-building systems, power solutions, and services that speed network deployment for the wireless and broadcast communications industry.

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AmCham Ghana Engaged Students From Bunker Hill Community College

The American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana, on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, engaged students from Bunker Hills Community College in Boston, Massachusetts, on the subject of U.S.-Ghana relations, global culture practices, and dynamics in business trade. This meeting was attended by 10 students and 3 faculty members

We delved into the complexities of international relations, focusing mainly on the U.S.’s role in Ghana and across Africa.

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Throughout the dialogue, students inquire into Ghana’s promising business environment alongside the challenges of international collaboration.

Conversations also scrutinized the impact of U.S. foreign policy on African nations, underlining diplomacy’s pivotal role in promoting global harmony. From commerce to geopolitics, the discussion underscored the profound significance of cross-cultural knowledge in today’s interconnected world trade and establishment between the U.S. and Ghana.