The new executives are Mr Ato Van-Ess, Chairman, Mr Eugene Fredua Ofori-Atta, Vice Chairman in charge of Projects and Mr Richard Bentil, Vice Chairman in charge of Finance. The rest are Mr Emmanuel Kofi Diaba, Vice Chair responsible for Administration, Mr Matthew Ade in charge of Membership and Partnership and Mr Michael Cudjoe, Event Executive.

Mr Van-Ess, in an address after the election, said the STCCI would focus more on advocacy and participate in the formulation of policies which would result in the socio-economic development of the Western Region. He said the STCCI had keen interest in realising the “one district one factory programme” of the current government and would collaborate with it and the business community to ensure its fruition.

Mr Van-Ess said: “As a chamber, we have a key role in ensuring that Sekondi-Takoradi takes ownership of its factory and as a twin-city, we will even work towards the goal of getting two factories”. He said it was also imperative that the Takoradi Port became independent of the Tema Port adding; “we believe that a self-governing harbour will facilitate the speedy realisation of private sector growth and boost economic activities.”

The STCCI Chairman said government’s plan of relocating the headquarters of oil companies to the region was key in stimulating economic development there. He alluded to the partnership between the Chamber and the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and its immense contribution to the success story of the chamber and said; “we have learnt the benefits of good partnership…even in our crisis period they stood with the vision and ignited the engine to the success we are witnessing today.”

Two Members of Parliament - Mr Joe Mensah and Mr Kojo Kumi - mentioned government’s commitment at growing the private sector to propel growth adding that the Western Caucus of the MPs would work to project the region.  Mr Kwamena Amoasi-Andoh of the International Labour Organisation’s Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) project said the services sector would be given a boost with the introduction of a new model of training and urged businesses to take advantage.

He said the ILO had procured the services of experts to modify the five modules currently in use for the SCORE training to incorporate the new modules for the services sector.   He said the ILO would continue to partner the STCCI to work in achieving the objectives of the projects whiles enhancing the lives of businesses for the common good of the country.