GNA – The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Regent University College of Science and Technology to deepen industry-academia linkage.
Mr Clement Osei-Amoako, President of the GNCCI, said the MoU in addition to the several others with tertiary institutions were aimed to explore new opportunities of bridging the industry-academia gap within the Chamber’s broad strategy of promoting and protecting commercial and industrial interests in the country.
Speaking at the 45th Annual General Meeting of the Chamber, Mr Amoako said through these MoUs, the Chamber and the respective parties committed to establishing and creating a broad framework of collaboration in the areas of research and innovation, training and development, and industry-academic cooperation to support entrepreneurship and enterprise development.
He said the Chamber through its trade indices and data derivatives project was championing the mobilization of diagnostics data to promote Ghana’s industrialization and diversification agenda for enhanced participation in its trade agreements.
The project will seek to model standard trade data into real-time information and data derivatives on trade flow determinants and the efficiency of those flows as well as other quick indices that capture the diversification of non-traditional commodities.
“In addition, the research will cover six industries, 11 export products, seven import products, and 10 export and import markets,” he said.
Touching on the Chamber’s Credit Union, Mr Amoako said it was growing steadily with a membership of 351, comprising 27 staff, 96 Chamber members and 228 non-Chamber members.
The Union started with shares of GH¢100,000.00 from the Chamber but currently have total shares of GH¢217,791.10.
The total Savings of the Union currently stands at GH¢619,717.82 with total loans advanced so far to GH¢283,929.22.
He said members and staff of the Chamber had been advanced a total loan amount of GH¢140,709.45 whilst GH¢143,219.77 was advanced to non-Chamber members.
The AGM was on the theme: “Building Synergies for a Resilient Economy Post Covid-19: The Role of the Private Sector.”
He said the Credit Union continued to advance loans at a very competitive interest rate to members.
“We encourage interested members and the public to join with a minimum share price of GH¢300.00,” he said.
GNA