Statement: Sek-Takoradi Chamber of Commerce must stand united or fall - Ouedraogo

I first of all want to extend the happiest felicitations of the season to the members of our Chamber, all other business associations in the Western Region and to the entire community of the Western Region. Christmas is also a season of love, forgiveness and reflection. It is in this spirit that I make this brief statement.

As the Chairman of the Sekondi-Takoradi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, I wish to appeal to the business community of Sekondi-Takoradi, and the Western Region as a whole, the news media, Nananom (chiefs), and policy makers to exercise objectivity and decorum in the wake of recent disagreements between a section of the Takoradi Chamber and the National Office.

This is because if issues are not dispassionately and selflessly handled, it will not be in the larger interest of the Western Region’s economic development. You are all aware of the rift that has occurred in the business of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Western Region. This division is not desirable.

The undeniable fact remains that Sekondi-Takoradi has no room for two chambers of commerce and Industry and I therefore want to take this opportunity to urge the business community of Sekondi-Takoradi, and the Western Region as a whole to collaborate with the National branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Sekondi-Takoradi to promote businesses in the region.

Neither separatism nor disunity has ever contributed to building a nation or achieving any goal collectively. This is not the time for division; we must unite and use our combined strength to maximise the opportunities which abound. When people are united by shared values and goals, they can move together, synchronizing their efforts to attain things that none could attain alone.

Unity is inclusive. It frees us from the divisiveness of prejudice. We see our commonality without devaluing our differences; and a sense of unity can transcend our fear of each other.

The new executives of which I am the interim Chairperson brings on board high level of business knowledge, experience, honesty, dedication and dynamism to articulate the interests of the business community in the Western Region. We understand the challenges of running a business in our region, and in Ghana as a whole, and have proven ourselves in our various fields of endeavour.

It’s sad to say, that at times we settle for only one percent and leave 99% to go to waste whereas we could have had 100% with less or no effort at all. This is because we concentrate too much effort on immediate gratification rather than spending the time and effort to build amicable partnerships, healthy families, sustainable development and peaceful communities. We as the Chamber should be modelling best practices for the rest of the business community and therefore call on all to join hands with the Chamber to better the lot of our region.

The Council of Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry- Sekondi-Takoradi chapter will in the ensuing year embark on the following initiatives and programmes aimed at making the business community efficient, effective and profitable:

• Building systems to work closely with the Ministry of Trade and Industries (MoTI), Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), National Board of Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), Association of Small Scale Industry (ASSI), and Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) and the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) with a view to helping change the way we do business.

• Designing an initiative to re-build trust and confidence and expand membership of the business community in the Chamber, through which members will see real value in paying their yearly subscription fees.

• Fostering greater confidence between the donor community and the Chamber of Commerce and Sekondi-Takoradi to show the Chamber is worthy of support and that all its activities will continuously be characterised by transparency and accountability.

• Supporting membership with credible business profiling and bankable business plans coupled with detailed business documentation to encourage support from local and international banks.

• Support to unleash the economic potential of the region to understand its great potential as comparable to other major international business centres.

• Propose amendments to the by-laws with regards to the criteria and qualities required for the positions of chairperson, vice-chairperson, treasurer and other executive members.

We shall do all these based on two grand principles - Glocalization and Subsidiarity. I shall more fully expand on our orienting principles at another opportunity. Let me say now that Glocalization orients us to the integration of local markets into world markets.

Subsidiarity is an organizing principle that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority. Decisions should be taken at a local level if possible, rather than by a central authority. These orienting ideas would help us respond to the increasingly global nature of the Western Region, as well as our relationship with the National Chamber in a rigorous and disciplined manner.

We must remember that job creation; wealth creation; economic empowerment; and nation building are all led by business communities and the private sector. That is why it is so important that we come together as a business community and make the best use of the enormous emerging opportunities around us.

Once again we appeal to all business community members of Sekondi-Takoradi, and the Western Region as a whole, to join the Chamber and help it grow, to promote and protect our business interests and thereby bring positive change and improvement to our region that has so much potential and deserves so much more than it is currently getting.

I wish all of you Merry Christmas and a very Prosperous New Year. I hope that 2015 sees opportunity for the reawakening of the Region’s Chamber in the best possible way.

Thank You.