The awards ceremony was to celebrate the finest of businesses that have demonstrated excellence in leadership and innovation in contributing to the socio-economic development of the country.

The ceremony, on the theme: “Enterprises in Transition: Recognising Innovative Businesses in Ghana,” had President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the Guest of Honour.The awards comprised 16 categories including manufacturing, logistics, guest accommodation, banks, mining, oil and gas, and professional services.

Mrs Bella Amu, the Director of Traffix Catering Services, won the Chamber Businesswoman of the Year, while Mr Micheal Bozumbi, the Head of Petrosol Company Limited, won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Chamber Administrator, Mr Wilson Atta Krofah, was awarded for long service, while Dr Kwabena Dufuour won the Young Business in Banking and Finance.Coca cola Company Limited won the Manufacturing Company of the Year, and Berock Ventures Limited won the Indigenous Bank with Largest Coverage, while Tobinco Pharmaceutical Limited won the Business Leader in Pharmaceuticals.

Accra City Hotel won the Guest Accommodation of the Year and Dalex Finance won the Leading Thought Leadership Engagement and Innovation in the Financial Industry, while Royal Crown Package Limited won the Emerging Business of the Year.

Mr Allan Kyeremanten, the Minister of Trade and Industry, commended all award winners for their contribution to the country’s business development, saying government would continue to provide business regulatory environment for the whole continent.

He said the Government was working assiduously to improve the country’s ranking on the World Bank Doing Business Index through the establishment of an electronic registry of business regulation.This, the Minister said, would prevent the situation where individual public servants would determine which regulations applied at what time for business enterprises in the country.

Mr Kyeremanten said the Ministry was committed to establishing a public consultation web portal to allow business ventures to make comments on the type of regulations that affected their businesses for redress.“We are also planning to establish business regulatory reform units in all the Metropolitan and District Assemblies to enable the assemblies to make an input on the quality of reforms needed for businesses to thrive,” he added.

Nana Dr Appiagyei Dankawoso I, the President of the GCCI said 80 nominations were shortlisted and assessed based on the seven criteria of the awards namely: Thought Leadership Engagement, Innovation and Technology, Corporate Social Responsibility, Customer Relationship Management, Annual Turnover, Profit, and Tax Compliance.

He said government’s pursuit of the industrialisation transformation agenda was commendable as it emphasised a strong private sector participation in the overall growth and development of the country.

Nana Dankawoso said following the One District One Factory Policy, the Chamber had identified the need to organise industries along significant and relevant value chain lines towards industrial development.

As a result, the Chamber had commissioned a team of experts for the industrial value chain project to provide business strategic models to support the country’s agricultural industrialisation drive.