GNCC
EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY

Ghana National Chamber of Commerce

Business Services

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G-77 Network of Chambers of Commerce
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PUBLICATIONS

The following are the publications of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce:

TRADE INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE CHAMBER (TINET)

The Chamber hitherto operated a small library which was made up essentially of Trade Directories, Journals and Periodicals, and a small number of statistical information acquired or mailed free of charge to the Chamber. In 1989, however, the UNDP with technical assistance from International Trade Centre (ITC) & UNCTAD/WTO established the West African Trade Information Network (TINET) among four Anglophone West African countries namely Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

The objective of the TINET is to establish and operate a sub-regional Trade Information Network, ensuring continous and regular flow of Commercial information to provide business enterpreneurs, within the framework of a computerised database, comprehensive and interlinked Trade Information Systems with the view to informing enterpreneurs of timely business opportunities in the Sub-regional commercial exchanges.

INFORMATION RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN TINET:

To achieve its objectives adequate information resources must be available at both the national and sub-regional levels for the systematic collection, processing and dissemination of practical commercial information to the business community. TINET has been established to serve these needs and the range of resources available include:

- A business library stocked with the latest editions of Business Directories, Trade Journals, Products Catalogues, Market Research Report and Price Information Bulletins which provide businessmen with current information on all aspects of trade and commerce with special emphasis on ECOWAS.

- Computerised Business Contact Database providing information on importers, exporters and manufacturers in the sub-region together with information on the products they import, export and manufacture. The Business Contact Database has over 4,000 companies listed in it.

- Reference and Advisory Services provided by the staff helps identify products with potential for intra-regional trade.

- A Business Services Centre, equiped with Facsimile, International Direct Dialing Telephone, Telex and Photocopying Facilities enable businessmen, especially the middle as well as small scale ones to transact business faster and at reasonable cost.

- Business Publications of current business information are disseminated on continous basis to members of the Chamber. These include:
  1. Newsletters
  2. Product and Market News
  3. Business Opportunities Bulletin

These resources are essentially available to the general public, that is, members and non-members of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce, as well as government and non-governmental departments.

COMMUNICATIONS:

The Chamber assists member-firms in their marketing function through Group Facsimile (Fax) and Telex services. The facilities encourage the small and medium firms to use these rapid modern means of communication at a fraction of the cost of installing and operating individual machines.

Besides, the Chamber issues Letters of Introduction to potential traders (both export and import) or joint venture partners for its members.

RESEARCH:

The Chamber has facilities for members to undertake basic research into products and markets both at home and overseas. Its library contains over 5,000 works of reference, directories, trade journals, catalogues and Government publications.

The Trade Information Service Department of the Chamber answers over 6,000 trade enquiries each year dealing with sources of supply, lists of potential exporters and importers and many other commercial topics.

The Chamber also has the authority to certify Invoices and issues Certificates of Origin to facilitate Ghana's export trade.

Arrangements are far advanced for the introduction of the ATA Carnets System in Ghana.

INTERACTION WITH GOVERNMENT:

The Chamber maintains a watching brief over activities related to taxation, employment, investment incentives and other issues and makes representations to Government on behalf of the business community.

The Chamber is also regularly consulted by Government on the drafting of legislation to ensure that business interests are represented.

FOREIGN TRADE:

The Chamber takes an active part in organising Trade Missions to overseas countries and assisting visiting businessmen from abroad in making business contacts in Ghana. With the back-up of the Chamber's export and import experience, and capacity to match potential business partners, this has become one of the most successful methods of introducing companies to new market outlets and is an invaluable service to any company comtemplating expanding its commercial actities.

This enables parties to transactions know the background of their partners which is necessary for higher standard and mutual trust and confidence. It is for this that the Chamber of Commerce of this country has been striving for integrity and international standards which will make it exude the right attributes required for international trade and investment. By so doing, we have been able to put our members into direct contact with overseas inquiriers wishing to import or export goods to and from Ghana without the parties seeing each other. We also expect that in dealing with external partners, their Chambers of Commerce will equally play the screening role in order to make business easier.

VISIT:

The Chamber encourages visits by organisations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the International Trade Centre and other visiting trade/economic delegations and missions. The Chamber provides facilities and makes arrangements for the foreign visitors to meet member companies wishing to discuss commercial opportunities, both inward and outward.

SEMINARS

: As a further extension of the communication function, the Chamber organises Seminars/Lectures and workshops on specific subjects to the business community with an opportunity to update their knowledge in business related subjects. This is an extremely important activity as in addition to providing specialised information, it also presents an opportunity for members to exchange views and talk about matters of mutual concern.

The Chamber also organises regular luncheons where speakers from Government institutions and private organisations are invited to give short presentations on their respective organisations and other topics.

These fora provide valuable opportunities for companies to broaden their knowlege about Government institutions facilitating trade and business in Ghana and to extend their contacts with potential customers, suppliers and service institutions.

PRESENTATION:

Through the work of specialist committees, views of the business community are sought on local and national issues affecting business life. Regular dialogues take place between the Chamber and Government officials and this presents unique opportunities at which the private sector's interests and concerns are forcefully expressed.

At the regional level, the Chamber is a founding member of the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce. It is also a member of the International Chamber of Commerce based in Paris. The Chamber also functions as the focal point of the West African Trade Information Network (TINET) set up for the Anglophone ECOWAS member-states with technical and financial assistance from the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/GATT and the United Nations Development Programme respectively aimed at promoting intra-regional trade in the ECOWAS sub-region through the exchange of trade and economic data and business opportunities among economic operators in the sub-region.

MEMBERSHIP:

Membership of the Chamber is open to any registered business establishment in Ghana as we represent all sectors of the economy including trade, banking and insurance, motor and transport, shipping and ports operations, manufacturing industries, professional services, export, agriculture and fishing and building and civil engineering.

These are just some of the services provided by the Chamber for the private sector business operators. Its main objective is to provide the sector with a constant flow of commercial intelligence coupled with a range of practical services designed to help the business community in their day to day business operations.

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