AmCham Ghana Calls For The Speedy Implementation Of The Independent Tax Appeal Board

Executive Secretary of the American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana, Simon Madjie, has advocated for the speedy implementation of the Independent Tax Appeals Board to ease the litigation burden on businesses.

Speaking on the Joy Business News program on Thursday, March 18, Mr. Madjie said the speedy implementation of Act 1029, which establishes the Tax Appeals Board, will enhance the ease of doing business in the country and save time spent on litigation as affected parties can seek quick resolution from this independent body.

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Dow Supports Communication Infrastructure Connecting 50,000 People In Eastern Ghana

Dow is supporting an information and communication infrastructure pilot to reach approximately 50,000 people in Nsutem, Eastern Ghana to support improved internet and data communications connectivity. Dow’s support will help to enable the construction of a renewable energy biomass power facility which will generate sustainable incomes for thousands of smallholder farmers locally.

Through its local grantee, the Okyeman Environment Foundation (OEF), Dow has enabled the construction of a WiFi network inclusive of hardware, software and deployment of technology to support two base stations and 18 hot spots to create an information and communication infrastructure pilot covering a collective area of about 15 km radius within surrounding communities of the biomass power facility. The infrastructure allows approximately 50,000 people to connect to a WiFi network permitting affordable data communications and internet access. This Project is a grantee of the Dow Business Impact Fund, which has been identifying and funding new projects around the globe that hold the potential to create significant social impact since 2016.

“Access to modern, cleaner energy is essential to human development. For Ghana, and indeed the world over, affordable energy decreases poverty and improves quality of life, be it for jobs, security, climate change, food production or increasing incomes,” said Adwoa Coleman, Country Manager, Dow Ghana and Africa Sustainability & Advocacy Manager, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “Communication infrastructure is also key for sustainable development. Access to reliable and affordable communication technologies lifts people out of poverty and helps them to overcome the digital divide. Dow’s 2025 sustainability goals aim to engage for impact and deliver breakthrough innovations, which is exactly what this project allows us to do.”

Lack of affordable access to electricity and subsequent lack of telecommunication infrastructure form the crux of the digital divide inhibiting poor rural community members from participating in meaningful socio-economic development in this region. To address this problem in a sustainable way, a 40MW biomass power plant is planned to be constructed in Nsutem, Ghana. The project has been sponsored by Village Corps and a Power Africa grant by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and has been advanced through the commitment and support of the Government of Ghana, the Akyem Abuakwa Kingdom and the Okyeman Environment Foundation.

The Project will address several UN Sustainable Development Goals, inclusive of #7 and #9 for clean and affordable energy and industry, innovation and infrastructure. The Project will not only drastically increase the access to baseload renewable electricity, but also will help mitigate climate change and assist local community members to adapt to a changing climate, which contributes to the Paris Climate Accord.

With the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) infrastructure installed and operational, community members can have affordable data connectivity and will be trained in how to use their phones to benefit from various software solutions to help enable skills development and access to valuable information in areas such as primary education, farming, and healthcare,” said Norman Beaulieu, founder of Village Corps. “WiFi infrastructure can no longer be considered a luxury, it is now an essential resource, and we believe that this project is taking important steps towards delivering this resource to an underserved community.”

AmCham Ghana and ABC Nigeria to Collaborate More on Trade and Investment Issues

On January 18, 2021, the President of the Chamber, Ayesha Bedwei, and the Executive Secretary, Simon Madjie, engaged in a virtual meeting with the CEO of the American Business Council Nigeria, Margaret Olele, for a discussion on enhancing collaboration between the two organizations to advance the interest of member companies and bolster the influence of AmChams across the region. 

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AmCham Ghana President Visits Fashion Connect Africa’s Garment Factory

President of the American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana, Ayesha Bedwei, visited the Fashion Connect Africa garment factory to interact with management and observe the production of face masks intended to be distributed for free in rural communities to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

The production of these face masks will be handled by the FCA Garment Factory, which is reputable for producing quality clothing materials, including face masks.

The chamber recently provided Fashion Connect Africa with the seed fund for the production of the first 5000 facemasks. This is in support of the organization’s One Million Facemasks for Rural Communities Project.

Fashion Connect Africa is an emerging social enterprise established to change lives in the creative industry. The project is aimed at protecting educating and empowering individuals and families living in rural communities by the wearing of face masks and practicing safety measures such as the washing of the hands and application of hand sanitizers.

AmCham Ghana Supports Fashion Connect Africa For The One Million Facemasks For Rural Communities Project

The American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility and contribution towards the fight against the COVID-19 in Ghana, is supporting Fashion Connect Africa for their One Million Facemasks for Rural Communities project aimed at providing facemasks to the residence in rural communities to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

The project will involve the production and distribution of quality face masks to rural communities.

Through this project, more people will be engaged to help produce and distribute the facemasks. This will ensure that they have a source of income for a period of time and are empowered to provide for their ends meet.

Speaking at the official launch of the project in Accra, the chamber’s president, Ayesha Bedwei, reiterated the importance of adhering to the safety protocols and the vital role of the project to further enhance safety and protection against the virus in the rural areas.

”Every year as AmCham, we support a corporate social responsibility initiative and I was pleased to select Fashion Connect Africa’s one million mask project, mainly because it is very relevant particularly due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is important that we keep sanitizing our hands and also wearing masks.”

” The one million masks project will focus on providing the much-needed masks to people in the rural areas and that is something that we can definitely stand behind as the American Chamber of Commerce,” She added.

AmCham Ghana provided Fashion Connect Africa with the seed fund for the production of the first 5000 facemasks.

”To ensure that rural dwellers keep themselves safe during this period, we are embarking on the One Million Face Masks For Rural Communities Project which will involve the production and distribution of quality and treated face masks to the rural poor across the most neglected districts in Ghana.” Victoria Michaels of Fashion Connect Africa remarked during the launch.

Also present at the event was the Deputy Minister for Education in charge of Technical & Vocational Education Training, Gifty Twum Ampofo, Ambassador of European Union of Ghana, Her Excellency Ms. Diana Acconcia, and some traditional rulers.

Webinar: Financing the Franchising Sector – A Workshop for the Finance Industry in Ghana

The Foreign Commercial Service of the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, in collaboration with AmCham Ghana and the Africa Franchise Centre (AFC) Lagos, on Tuesday, August 25, 2020, hosted a webinar on Financing the Franchising Sector. The event was a workshop to educate and expose players in the finance industry to the concept of franchise financing.

The event provided an understanding of how the franchising sector works, becoming aware of how to unlock it, as well as identify some reasons why people are hesitant to finance franchises.

The presenter, Emma Esinnah, Country Director, Curves International, Nigeria, took participants through the transaction dynamics to help make informed decisions when appraising proposals.

 

The global franchising industry is a $3 trillion (estimated) industry with products and services in over 300 business categories.

Emma Esinnah also highlighted some of the benefits franchising, such as risk avoidance associated with start-ups, reduction in start-ups cost and time, and proven products, services, and operational methods. Mr. Asinnah believes these benefits make franchising a strategy for business growth which benefits the economy and the banks.

He also presented a case study of South Africa’s franchising sector, which according to a 2019 report, by the Franchising Association of South Africa (FASA) is over 15.7% to GDP, and employs over 343,000 people.

Mr. Asinnah noted that the success of a franchise depends on its system and encouraged bankers and stakeholders to take a keen interest in finding out the strengths and limits of a franchise’s operational system. He also advised that bankers praise the franchise and not the franchisee, as findings revealed people who mostly succeed with franchises have no prior business experience.

According to Mr. Asinnah, the banking sector has played an instrumental role in the success story of the South African franchising industry by creating special products and services specifically tailored to suit the sector. He also dismissed the assertion that the influx of foreign franchises stifles local businesses, he said instead when managed well, franchising can help grow local businesses to international standards.

Present at the webinar was the AmCham Ghana Executive Secretary, Simon Majie, who delivered the closing remarks and acknowledged the importance of franchising to the development of local businesses.

Also present were Hannah Kamenetsky, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy Ghana, and Paul Arinze, President at Pedestal Africa Ltd.

ATC Ghana And American Tower Foundation COVID-19 Relief Efforts

ATC Ghana has through its philanthropic initiatives, responded to the ongoing COVID-19 Relief efforts by donating to hospitals and other institutions involved in the fight against the pandemic in Ghana.

The company donated medical supplies and personal hygiene products to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital. The items included  600 N95 face masks, 150 PPE, 60 face shields and 60 sanitizers, 70 gloves, 60 disposable bedsheets, and medical-grade cleaning detergents.

The Tamale Teaching Hospital also received 100 N95 face masks, 30 PPE, 60 face shields and 60 sanitizers, 70 gloves, and 60 disposable bedsheets.

ATC Ghana also donated 300 N95 face masks, 70 PPE, 10 face shields and 10 sanitizers, 20 gloves, 10 disposable bed sheets, and medical-grade cleaning detergents to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

The company through similar efforts provided 600 N95 face masks, 200 PPE, 100 face shields and 100 sanitizers, 120 gloves, 100 disposable bed sheets, and medical-grade cleaning detergents to the Ga East Municipal Hospital.

To support COVID-19 education and public awareness across Ghana, ATC donated 150 sanitizers, 500 local face masks, 10 Veronica buckets, 100 hand tissues, and 100 gallons of liquid hand-washing soap to the National Commission for Civic Education.

In addition to the above donations, American Tower Foundation also donated USD$100,000.00 to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research to enable testing, research, and training of front-liners in the war against COVID-19.

As the pandemic continues and its social and economic effects are felt with greater intensity, ATC Ghana remains committed to working with all stakeholders to help navigate through this crisis.

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

 

Visit https://lnkd.in/es85wbk to get more details on #AmChamMemberCOVID19Support

U.S. Chamber of Commerce International Policy Update

Chamber Leads Lawsuit Against Unprecedented Work Visas Restrictions

On July 21, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Retail Federation, and others sued to challenge federal restrictions on businesses’ ability to meet their workforce needs through lawful immigration. U.S. Chamber CEO Thomas J. Donohue released the following statement after the suit was filed:

“Our lawsuit seeks to overturn these sweeping and unlawful immigration restrictions that are an unequivocal ‘not welcome’ sign to the engineers, executives, IT experts, doctors, nurses, and other critical workers who help drive the American economy. Left in place, these restrictions will push investment abroad, inhibit economic growth, and reduce job creation.”
Donohue also penned an op-ed in The New York Times this week entitled “Why the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Is Suing the Trump Administration [Over Immigration].” In the column, Donohue wrote that the recent moves represent

“the most restrictionist immigration policies in nearly a century. This is a fundamental mistake at a time when our nation’s economy is already suffering.

“If you want businesses to grow and the economy to rebound, you allow skilled workers to come here legally to work and contribute to the well-being of our nation; you don’t lock them out. If you want the next revolutionary start-up to be founded in America, you welcome foreign students; you don’t threaten to upend their lives and send them home during the middle of a pandemic.”

For further information, please contact Executive Director for Immigration Policy Jon Baselice (jbaselice@uschamber.com).
New U.S. Chamber ‘Discover and Deliver’ Initiative Shows the All-of-Nation Effort to Defeat Coronavirus  

On July 21, the U.S. Chamber Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) launched its Discover and Deliver initiative to show what the nation’s brightest scientific minds and most innovative companies are doing to discover effective treatments and cures for COVID-19, outlined in an interactive map which depicts where COVID-19-related innovations are being developed in the United States.

The map reveals that there are currently 560 clinical trials of potential COVID-19 solutions in all 50 states, across 85 percent of congressional districts.

Discover and Deliver puts on full display the unprecedented scope and speed of what companies are actively doing to defeat COVID-19, and how policymakers can help accelerate the process by protecting intellectual property, removing trade barriers, like unnecessary tariffs and export bans, and encouraging strategic collaboration through public-private partnerships.

“When it comes to the fight against COVID-19, every community’s contribution counts,” said David Hirschmann, CEO of the U.S. Chamber GIPC. “This has to be, and is, an all-of-nation effort. In the United States alone, the size and scope of this effort is staggering. Our new interactive map we are launching today tells the story of that amazing scope in a visual, digestible way.”

The campaign kicked off with a virtual public event featuring leading voices from the business community, biopharma innovators, and those directing clinical trials in communities across the nation. The Discover and Deliver campaign will also sponsor a series of virtual events to help disseminate information and hold space for discussion at the local level.

The campaign’s next event will spotlight a local community’s efforts, inviting participants to consider a ”boots on the ground” view of progress underway.

“Today’s event was a good reminder that we’re all in this together, and we all have a part to play,” said Hirschmann. “If we all play our parts, we can help ensure that the innovative discoveries happening today can be delivered to people tomorrow.”

Each week the U.S. Chamber spotlights companies on the front-line search for effective treatments and vaccines to combat COVID-19, to access the entire catalog of articles, visit the U.S. Chamber Global Innovation Policy Center’s Discover & Deliver page.

 

Chamber Sends Association Letter Urging Updates to Privacy Shield

As we reported last week, the European Court of Justice ruled on July 16 in Data Protection Commissioner v Facebook Ireland, Maximillian Schrems (“Schrems II”) that the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield is no longer a valid mechanism for transferring personal data. The Court however upheld the validity of the Standard Contractual Clauses, which remain an important, privacy protective mechanism for transferring data.

In response, on July 17, the Chamber led an association letter, sent to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, urging the U.S. administration to work collaboratively with its EU counterparts to develop a stable and sustainable mechanism for companies to transfer data between the European Union and the United States. The letter highlights the importance of regulators to ensuring data transfers can continue while a new agreement is under discussion.

Signed by 30 associations, the letter in part reads:

“More than 5,300 U.S. companies use the Privacy Shield, and those businesses contribute significantly to the nearly $1.1 trillion in total U.S. trade in goods and services with the European Union. Companies in the automotive, retail, hospitality, logistics, health care, manufacturing and human resource management fields are all certified to the Privacy Shield Program. Small and medium sized businesses account for more than 70% of Privacy Shield participants.

“The effects of [last] Thursday’s decision reach far beyond the more than 5,300 Privacy Shield- certified companies. Indeed, Privacy Shield certified companies have suppliers of goods and services, comprising a network of tens of thousands of additional companies, all of which indirectly rely upon Privacy Shield. The decision also comes at a particularly precarious time for American businesses, as the COVID-19 pandemic has led many to use remote services and rely on the ability to move data across the globe.”

For further information, please contact Senior Vice President for International Regulatory Affairs Sean Heather (sheather@uschamber.com).

 

SFRC Republicans Introduce China Legislation

On July 22, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID) and colleagues introduced the Strengthening Trade, Regional Alliances, Technology, Economic and Geopolitical Initiatives concerning China (STRATEGIC) Act. According to a press release, the objective of the legislation is “to advance a comprehensive strategy for U.S. competition with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).” Key provisions include:

  • Tackle China’s economic practices that distort global markets and hurt U.S. businesses, especially IP theft and mass government subsidization and sponsorship of Chinese companies;
  • Confront tech competition by increasing technology collaboration with allies and partners;
  • Safeguard institutions from malign and undue PRC influence;
  • Strengthen U.S. posture in the Indo-Pacific to protect its interests, allies, and partners; and
  • Prioritize cooperation over conflict when possible on areas such as arms control, North Korea, and the environment, if the PRC demonstrates good faith and transparency.

To view a copy of the legislation, click here.

For a section by section summary, click here.

For further information, please contact China Center President Jeremie Waterman (jwaterman@uschamber.com).

 

Finance Committee to Hold Hearings on Medical Supplies, WTO

On Tuesday, July 28, at 10:15 a.m. the Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Part 1: Protecting the Reliability of the U.S. Medical Supply Chain During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Witnesses include:

Thomas F. Overacker
Cargo And Conveyance Security, Office Of Field Operations, United States Customs and Border ProtectionSteve K. Francis
Assistant Director, Homeland Security Investigations Global Trade Investigations Division, Director, National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center
United States Immigration, Customs, and EnforcementSoraya Correa
Chief Procurement Officer, United States Department of Homeland Security

For more information about the hearing, click here.On Wednesday July 29, at 10:15 a.m. the Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing entitled “WTO Reform: Making Global Rules Work For Global Challenges”. Witnesses include:

Jennifer Hillman
Senior Fellow For Trade And International Political Economy, Council on Foreign RelationsThomas R. Graham
Partner, Cassidy Levy KentLaura J. Lane
President, Global Public Affairs, UPS

Joseph Glauber, Ph.D
Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute

Michele Kuruc
Vice President, Ocean Policy, World Wildlife Fund

To watch the hearing, click here.For further information, please contact Senior Vice President of International Policy John Murphy (jmurphy@uschamber.com).