The Kudla-Ghana Connection! KCCI hosts Interaction Session with Ghana Delegation
The Kudla-Ghana Connection! Kanara Chamber of Commerce & Industry-Mangaluru (KCCI) hosted Interaction Session with Ghana Delegation on Saturday, 26 October at the KCCI Hall.
Mangaluru :Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located along the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean, in the sub-region of West Africa. Spanning a land mass of 92,099 sq mi, Ghana is bordered by the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo in the east and the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean in the south. Ghana means “Warrior King” in the Soninke language. The first permanent state in the territory of present-day Ghana dates back to the 11th century. Numerous kingdoms and empires emerged over the centuries, of which the most powerful was the Kingdom of Ashanti.
Beginning in the 15th century, numerous European powers contested the area for trading rights, with the British ultimately establishing control of the coast by the late 19th century. Following over a century of native resistance, Ghana’s current borders were established by the 1900’s as the British Gold Coast. It became independent of the United Kingdom on 6 March 1957. Ghana’s population of approximately 30 million spans a variety of ethnic, linguistic and religious groups.According to the 2010 census, 71.2% of the population was Christian, 17.6% was Muslim, and 5.2% practiced traditional faiths. Its diverse geography and ecology ranges from coastal savannahs to tropical rain forests.
The City of Accra- the Capital of Ghana
Ghana is a unitary constitutional democracy led by a president who is both head of state and head of the government. Ghana’s growing economic prosperity and democratic political system have made it a regional power in West Africa. It is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Group of 24 (G24) and the Commonwealth of Nations. The top Ten exports of Ghana are- Gold,Gems, precious metals; Mineral fuels including oil; Cocoa; Fruits, nuts; Ores, slag, ash; Plastics, plastic articles; Wood; Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes; Meat/seafood preparations; and Aluminum. Ghana ’s top 10 exports accounted for 95.6% of the overall value of its global shipments.
A delegation from Ghana led by Ms Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo – Minister for Public Procurement/Deputy Majority Leader/Member of Parliament of Ghana, along with Dominic Oduro-Antwi- President of Ghana-India Trade Advisory Chamber; Daniel Appiah-Otoo, Senior Officer-Finance and Administration; Ms Daphne Lariba Nabila- Barrister & Solicitor; Dr Senorita Issac-Founder Chairperson of Human Achievers Foundation; and Hanny Yaw Mouhtiseb- Chief Executive Officer of Couttz Group, were in Mangaluru for a interaction Session hosted by Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mangaluru on Saturday, 26 October 2019.
Isaac Vas, the President of KCCI welcomed the gathering, followed by handing over of flower bouquets to the delegates from Ghana. Introduction of Hon Sarah A Safo was done by Shashidhar Pai Maroor-Vice President of KCCI, while introduction of Dominic O Antwi was done by Divakar Pai Kochikar-Hon Secretary of KCCI. In her address to the august gathering, Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo (Esq) said, “It gives us immense pleasure to be here in this coastal town, where we have heard lot of good things of Mangaluru. Ghana and India have very good mutual understanding in Trade, and other businesses. We are here to invite Mangalorean entrepreneurs who want to set up businesses in Ghana, there create some economy and jobs in Ghana”.
“India-Ghana relations are bilateral diplomatic relations between India and Ghana. As members of the Commonwealth, India maintains a High Commission in Accra and Ghana has its High Commission in New Delhi. The first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah and India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, shared a strong personal bond of friendship. There are about 15,000 Indians living in Ghana and operating various businesses. Ghana imports automobiles and buses from India and companies like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland have a significant presence in the country. Ghanaian exports to India consist of gold, cocoa and timber while Indian exports to Ghana comprise pharmaceuticals, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, plastics, steel and cement. India has also offered to set up an India-Africa Institute of Information Technology (IAIIT) and a Food Processing Business Incubation Centre in Ghana under the India-Africa Forum Summit. India is among the largest foreign investors in Ghana’s economy. Bank of Baroda, Bharti Airtel, Tata Motors and Tech Mahindra are the major Indian companies in Ghana, among others. Our intention to come here is to invite more Indians, including Mangaloreans to start their business or trade with Ghana, and we are ready to oblige you with your offer” added Hon Sarah Safo.
Also speaking on the occasion, Dominic Oduro-Antwi- President of Ghana-India Trade Advisory Chamber said, ” Launched in September 2018, the Ghana India Trade and Advisory Chamber (GITAC) has made impressive efforts in promoting trade relations between Ghana and India through collaborations with the India High Commission -Delhi,India High Commission-Ghana and the Ghana Trade and Investment Ministry. Ghana- India Trade Advisory Chamber (GITAC), a non-profit organization was established to promote and enhance trade, investment and cultural interactions between Ghana and India. The chamber has been able to sign on an encouraging number of companies and still making room for more in the various sectors of both countries economy. Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO), one of Indian’s biggest trade Organizations has formed membership with GITAC after recently signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the chamber in fulfillment of the mission of both parties”.
“GITAC consists of sectors, such as Trade, Financial Services, Hospitality, Engineering, Agro- Processing, Manufacturing, Import and Export Services, Information and Communication Technology, Education, Aviation, Shipping and Logistics. The chamber works under four key areas which includes consultancy, advisory, trade and training as stated by the President. The Chamber would provide consultancy to promote a close collaboration between research and policy formulation in the field of trade and investment to enhance global expertise on trade. We are trying to build as many as business relations in Ghana and India to make their work easy in trade and investment. So our offer is wide open for entrepreneurs and other professionals from Mangaluru to have trade and business opportunities with Ghana, and you can contact us anytime if interested” added Dominic Antwi.
In the interaction between the delegates from Ghana and the members in the audience, there were many queries about business relationship that could be started between Ghana and Mangaluru and Dakshina Kannada, and the interaction went on with full enthusiasm between Ghana delegates and audience. Following handing over of some Mangalorean goodies as mementos for the Ghana delegates, and vote of thanks proposed by Nissar Fakeer Mohammed-Hon Secretary of FCCI, it was time for a ‘happy and smiling’ group photo for memory keepsake.