MOTI urges International Chamber of Commerce (icc) to focus on building capacity of Ghanaian businesses

Ghana’s Ministry of Trade and Industry have expressed the need for multinational institutions such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to focus their support on building the capacity of Ghanaians and Ghanaian based industries in order to strengthen the businesses to adopt the best modules for economic growth and development for the nation rather than just seeking to provide financial assistance.

Addressing the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), John Denton, who is in Ghana as part of his official working visit to Sub-Saharan Africa with his team from the renowned Global Association of Businesses including Ghana’s former Attorney General, Hon. Marieta Brew Appiah who is a member of the ICC’ Arbitration Court and Mr. Doni Kwame the Secretary General of ICC Ghana, a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry in Charge of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Hon. Dr. Stephen Amoah said Ghana has the budding entrepreneurs with the potential to grow the nation’s economy but will need to be exposed to the required capital and ideas in order to be able to scale up and be competitive.

John Denton, the ICC Secretary General on his part, said the ICC has enjoyed a close working relationship with the Ministry of Trade and Industry through its Ghana National Chapter since it was launched in Ghana.

He said the ICC is very focused on growing the private sector by supporting entrepreneurship particularly in sub-Saharan Africa hence its intended pogramme dubbed the Center of Entrepreneurship (CoE) as it seeks to strengthen the presence of ICC in Africa and further expand ICC’s extensive global network that currently comprises 6.5 million enterprises in over 130 countries.

Mr. Denton said the ICC Ghana has led the organized private sector to advocate for the ratification of the WTO TFA in Ghana and followed up with its implementation with the support of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, an activity which he asserted that is still ongoing for the National Trade Facilitation Committee.



He revealed that the ICC is currently advocating for the extension of the WTO Moratorium on custom duties on Electronic Transmission and is therefore ready to engage government on that and also provide support or capacity building on international best practice on the calculation of VAT which has been a source of concern for ICC members globally.

The ICC Secretary General also explained that ICC Ghana is working with the Ministry of Trade on a UNIDO Sub contracting Partnership Exchange project which is part of the ICC Ghana’s Africa Sustainable Supply Chain Programme.



He also thanked the Ministry of Trade and Industry for supporting the ICC Ghana’s “For Better Business Together (4BBT) programme which launched the Single Africa market TV programme to promote AfCFTA and sensitize the Business community and is currently still ongoing with the support of UNDP, GIZ and USAID.

Marietta Brew Appiah who is also Ghana’s representative at the ICC’s International Court of Arbitration briefed the Deputy Minister on the work of the Court.