GNCCI BUSINESS BRIEF (8th - 12th Feb, 2021)

Economy

• Banks borrowed GH¢2.57bn from BoG in pandemic year
• Inflation begins year at 9.9% as food prices decline
• Cedi shows resilience against dollar, euro

Sectoral

• Economic challenges keep cost of borrowing high
• COVID-19 Workplace Spread: Taskforce constituted to monitor compliance of protocols
• Finance Ministry pays GH₵12bn to IPPs since 2017
• SSNIT to integrate Ghana Card unto System
• Ghana’s local cocoa processing capacity hits 50% of production
• Ghana’s financial markets are showing strong resilience against the economic impacts of COVID 19’s second wave

Trade & Investment

• Sensitisation Seminar on the AfCFTA

Policy

• Small businesses must tap into 1.3bn consumer market presented by AfCFTA

International

• EU to work with Biden administration to settle trade disputes
• Ghanaian exports to UK still attract tariffs

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GNCCI CALLS FOR URGENT SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF ODAWNA MARKET FIRE

The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI)

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GNCCI BUSINESS BRIEF (25th - 29th May, 2020)

Economy

• Phase one of reviving economy out-doored … as restaurants, conferences, schools open partially
• Survey to track impacts of COVID-19 on local economies begins

Sectoral

• NBSSI cautions against illegal charges for registration for GHS1bn SMEs loan
• UNIPASS takes off fully today after challenging pilot
• GRA promises to resolve challenges with UNIPASS clearing system
• Banks revise loan budget downwards
• BoG begins online payment service for Collateral Registry System
• Government receives GH¢5.5 billion first installment of COVID-19 Relief Bond

Trade & Investment

• GNCCI WEBINAR; Covid-19, Strategies for Business Survival and Growth

Policy

• COVID-19’s unannounced visitation has pushed the need for AfCFTA urgently
• Lobby to implement ECOWAS Veterinary Pharmaceutical Protocol intensifies

International

• Don’t expect debt relief, United States warns Africa

  West African food trade under strain as COVID-19 shuts borders

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RCBS JOIN EXIM, COMMERCIAL BANKS TO DISBURSE STIMULUS PACKAGE

To ensure that the COVID-19 stimulus package for businesses reaches the four corners of the country, Rural and Community Banks would be part of the channels to be used in the distribution of funds, in addition to the EXIM Bank and other commercial banks, Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso, President of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), has said.

“We want to use Ghana EXIM Bank, commercial banks, and Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) to disburse the funds. We also want to ensure that businesses are given free or less interest rates because of the challenges the economy has gone through and the pain business has seen,” Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso said.

But the B&FT has gathered that without Tax Identification Numbers (TINs), and or, association with trade groups, businesses cannot qualify for any form of package.

The criteria and modalities for identifying the beneficiaries are being developed by the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) in conjunction with the rural and community banks, commercial banks, and the Ghana Exim Bank.

A steering committee, chaired by both the Ministers of Finance and Trade and Industry, is wrapping up its work to ensure the effective implementation, execution, and disbursement of funds under the stimulus package, which is set to begin next week.

 “We are in bed with them [Ministry of Finance] and through the Ministry of Trade we have come out with some modalities and latest by the first week of May we will be able to come out with all the modalities,” Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso added.

The COVID-19 stimulus package is a GH¢600 million soft loan scheme to be disbursed to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. The loan is expected to have a one-year moratorium and a two-year repayment plan. It was announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Trade unions want more support some trade unions, including the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), have made calls for the government to help the private sector to foot a portion of their salaries as a means to sustain their businesses and continue to keep employees in jobs.

Its General Secretary, Solomon Kotei believes that this is the time government must show the private sector what it means when it says ‘the private sector is the engine of growth’

But Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso I, has said that there has been no conversation for the private sector to get salary payment relief from the government. “For now, we have not had that conversation at our meeting. Maybe at the latter part of the meeting, we will bring it up.

He added that the government employs just about 6 percent of the workforce of the nation. It is therefore pertinent that the private sector is supported in these difficult times. He believes a strong private sector will help to support economic growth and relief the government of the current huge unemployment burden.

Source: Business & Financial Times