CIMG calls on government to provide guidance to Ghanaian businesses to enable them to take full advantage of AfCFTA

The catrtered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) called on the government to give clear instructions to Ghanaian businesses to enable them to take full advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), based on the country’s comparative advantages in trade.

CIMG National President Dr Daniel Kasser Tee made the call as he spoke at the launch of the 32^sd The annual National Marketing Performance Awards were recently held in Accra on the theme; “Reposition Ghana to Leverage AfCFTA for Economic Development”. He indicated that the theme was chosen to help draw the attention of the nation-Ghana and all business entities, especially those involved in cross-border trade in Africa, to the many opportunities available on the back of AfCFTA. .

Dr Kasser Tee added that “as we are well aware, the objective of the AfCFTA is, among other things, to create a single continental market for goods and services, with the free movement of businesses, people and investments, paving the way for the acceleration of the creation of the Continental Customs Union. This, certainly, provides opportunities for Ghanaian businesses to be early risers by reorganizing their efforts on the international marketing front to take advantage of the situation. It is our expectation, by choosing this theme, that Ghana, as a corporate brand, will be repositioned based on its comparative advantages. We believe this will serve as the strongest signal to encourage companies to channel their resources towards the production of goods and services for which Ghana, as a collective, has comparative advantages. We cannot reap the required benefits of AfCFTA without first harnessing and mobilizing our core competencies, as a nation to leverage our export campaign across the continent ”.

To ensure long-term success, Dr Kasser Tee said Ghana must first strive to reposition the nation, based on the best set of comparative advantages in trade in the region.

He hinted that Ghana must also develop local businesses into export champions, which can compete favorably with the continent’s giants.

Commenting on the CIMG Awards, Dr Kasser Tee said: “As we all know, the CIMG Awards are accepted today as the most prestigious and long-standing local awards in Ghana, since their inception in 1990 (for the ‘fiscal year 1989). Part of the reason is that CIMG has managed to hold 31 previous awards without any issues or controversies. During the period, the CIMG Awards have helped to create product and corporate brands, as well as personality brands, projecting some of them onto the international stage, where they compete favorably with world famous brands. . Based on these awards, we have seen many companies reformulate their business strategies and radically change their operating models, allowing them to be marketing oriented by meeting the key requirements of market orientation, integrated marketing, long-term profitability and customer focus ”.

He advised companies to constantly submit to scrutiny by identifying their strengths and weaknesses and being prepared for external shocks and well prepared to take advantage of opportunities emanating from their specific industries and the economy in general.

Shedding more light on the awards, National Vice President and Chair of the Awards Planning and Selection Committee, Ms. Agnes Emefa Essah, said: “CIMG has decided to keep the stakes as high and relevant as possible so that the standards by which we assess individual and corporate performance is not compromised. We are committed to keeping the rewards process simple, transparent and fair. It is this level of commitment that has guided us, as a responsive institution, to constantly introduce new and progressive ideas, all aimed at adding value to our processes as well as new price categories.

She also said that this year the Institute is driven by the desire to project marketing as a relevant tool for the development of our nation, Ghana. Hence the choice of theme.

CIMG Registrar and CEO Kwabena Agyekum recounted the Institute’s historical journey from its inception in 1981 until today. He recounted how, as a young Institute, CIMG moved from one office to another, until December 2017, when the Institute finally moved into its own premises in Baatsona.

The Institute finally got its bill, the CIMG Bill 2019, adopted by Parliament and assented to by the President of the Republic in an Act of Parliament in 2020, giving birth to The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana Act, 2020 ( Act 1021).

This resulted in the launch of Ghana’s first Professional Marketing Qualifications in April 2021, ahead of CIMG @ 40 which was also launched overnight.

Some of the Institute’s founding members were on hand to share their fond memories of the history of CIMG. They were; Mrs. Joyce Mahama, Nana Yaa Young Gyampo, Professor Tim Acquah-Hayford, (Past President), Mr. Kwame Adjei-Sefah, (Past President) and Mr. Frank Appiah, (Past President).