Chamber of Commerce courts media support
THE Sekondi-Takoradi branch of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce (GCC) is courting the support of the media, to help facilitate the mission and vision of the Chamber, to the outside world.
According to the Chamber, it had chosen to court the support of the media in projecting its activities and programmes, because it believed in the relevance of the media in partnering and projecting today's world businesses.
The new Chairman of the Chamber, Mr. Ato Van-Ess, who disclosed this at a media interaction last Friday, noted that the way forward for the Chamber to excel in its activities and programmes, was to make the media partners of a new evolution being espoused by the Chamber.
According to him, enhancing the shared spirits and common aspirations, to achieve the Chamber's collective and individual member goals, automatically needed direct media involvement.
Mr. Van-Ess told the media that the Chamber's vision was about becoming Ghana's leading business organisation, providing maximum value to its members, by recognising and encouraging the private sector as the driving force in the country's economy, provide business-building programmes for businesses, and collaborate with appropriate sectors to revive the business sector, and also encourage the forging of strong links within the regional business community, to ensure an exchange of skills and best practices, which would eventually add to the benefit of all businesses.
For that reason, the Chamber would serve as the Voice of the Business, committed to the enhancement of economic prosperity, and quality of life in Sekondi-Takoradi, and the region as a whole.
Mr. Ato Van-Ess noted that the Chamber would not only seek to address economic issues, but would also address civic and social programming issues such as healthcare concerns, education, workforce quality and availability, housing, crime, with innovative programmes, research and coalition-building.
These programmes, according to the Chairman, the Chamber would accomplish, by being specifically conscious of what bound the indigenes of Sekondi-Takoradi, with respect to their culture and tradition.
It would also collaborate with traditional heads, to uphold the culture of each traditional area, through massive marketing of the rich festivals of the region.
Mr. Ekow Amua-Sekyi, a lawyer, on his part, expressed the hope that the new executives would change the path of the Chamber, to make it be at par with other big associations of businesses, since commerce was a very powerful tool in the development of this country. That, according to him, did not mean that the past executives did not live up to expectations, but conceded that, “the idea of changing the path of the Chamber, is a very powerful tool in commerce.”
The new Executive Secretary of the Chamber, Mr. Vincent Annan, who introduced the new executives to the media, emphasised the role the media could play in enhancing the programmes and activities of the Chamber.
According to Annan, the Chamber was putting in place, policies in support of local businesses in the region, and also link members and other businesses to the international world for greater opportunities.
The decision of the Chamber, according to the Executive Secretary, to court for media support, comes after the new executives of the Chamber were elected into office in August this year.
The new executives of the Chamber have Mr. Ato Van-Ess as Chairman, Mr. Justice Oduro Mensah as Vice Chairman, Mrs. Rebecca Ossabil Arthur as Treasurer, and Mr. Vincent Essuman as Secretary.
Other members are Mr. Issah Kofi Ackaah, Elizabeth Yeboah, Ekow Amua-Sekyi and Mrs. Juliana Pragu.