The Netherlands King's Day 2022 Insert

WEDNESDAY, 27TH APRIL, 2022

The Netherlands celebrates King’s Day today

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 02

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

King of The Netherlands,

King Willem-Alexander

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 03

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

Message from His Exellency Jeroen Verheul The Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana

“Let me say to the Dutch and Ghanaian business community that I’m very impressed with the way you have been able to survive the difficulties you have encountered over the past two years because the pandemic has provided a lot of challenges. However, I’m impressed by the resilience and innovativeness different companies have deployed to overcome these challenges.

I’m also convinced that these strengths will be useful in overcoming the challenges that we will be facing in the near future. Let’s not underestimate the challenges that we have considering the current rate of inflation, the depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi as well as the public finance challenges that the government

is facing. These national challenges are compounded by a deepening international crisis resulting from the Russian invasion in Ukraine. The impact of this war will not be limited to Europe, also Africa including Ghana will feel its effects.

So, there will be tough times ahead economically, but I’m very sure the innovative power and resilience of the Ghanaian and Dutch business communities will be strong enough to push businesses through the challenges that we will be facing in the coming period.”

On the political diplomacy side, I see GhanaNetherlands relations growing from strength to strength. We are moving towards full-

fledged political bilateral relationship and this is important because Ghana is now the Chair of ECOWAS and a member of the Security Council, taking its position in international relations and for Netherlands, it is important to maintain good relations with countries that take an important role in international relations.

Ghana has progressed impressively in terms of both economic growth and infrastructure and it is our view that we should help to consolidate that improvement and to also strengthen the relations between Netherlands and Ghana economically. That is the primary focus of this embassy.”

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 04

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

Today is the birthday of His Majesty King Willem Alexander – and as GNBCC – Board, Management, Staff & Members - we

Congratulate our King with his birthday. This day is also our National Holiday named ‘Koningsdag’ which is celebrated all over the Kingdom of The Netherlands, comprising of Aruba, Curacao, the Netherlands and SintMaarten.

This year again up to a million visitors are expected to descend upon Amsterdam on 27 April to celebrate ‘ Koningsdag’ . Celebrating people cover everything in orange – from flags, wigs, and clothing to revelers’ faces. The orange colour honours the royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.

The celebrations begin on ‘Koningsnacht’ (King’s Night), and the alcohol and music will not stop flowing for the next 24 hours. While COVID-19 forced the cancellation of plans for Koningsdag 2020 and 2021, 2022 will see the celebrations start up again.

Today the Dutch community will celebrate King’s Day on the invitation of our Netherlands ambassador Hon. Jeroen Verheul for which also a number of our Premium Members have been invited. As GNBCC we also congratulate our ambassador as representative of the Kingdom of The Netherlands in Ghana and we wish that the business relations between Ghana and our Kingdom will continue to flourish.

‘Leve de Koning!’ (Long live the King!)

Tjalling Yme Wiarda MA MBA GM GNBCC on behalf of the Board / Management + Staff / Members

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day PAGE 05

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

Fun facts about The Netherlands 1. The Dutch are the tallest in the world.

A study in April 2021 found that the Dutch are still the tallest in the world!

The average height of a 19-year-old Dutch female is 1.70 meters, while the average height of a Dutch male is 1.83 meters.

2. Almost a third of The Netherlands is situated below sea level Water is a way of life for The Dutch.

The Dutch live on and with water. They created the world’s earliest public transport network, using passenger boats to travel over the otherwise impassable landscape in the 17th century.

The waterways are in total over 6,000 km long and there are more than 10,000 house boats in The Netherlands.

3. Don’t call The Netherlands ‘Holland’ The Netherlands consists of 12 provinces which includes Holland, an area made up of two provinces; North-Holland (NoordHolland) and South-Holland (Zuid-Holland).

In the past, Holland contributed heavily to the nation’s economy and as such, incorrectly became a common name to indicate the entire country.

In January 2020 the Dutch government officially rebranded and dropped its country’s nickname, ‘Holland’.

4. Amsterdam The name of the capital of the Netherlands, dates back from the 12th century, when a dam was built in the Amstel river. It’s a unique city built entirely on piles and has 1200 bridges.

Its famous for its museums, bustling cafés and stately merchant houses lining the famous canals in the narrow streets of the Jordaan district.

If you love to shop, visit de 9 straatjes (9 streets) right in the middle of the canal belt, between the Singel and Prinsengracht.

5. Cheese Dutch people eat an average of 14.3 kilos of cheese per person per year.

Cheese has been a huge part of the Dutch economy and culture since the Middle Ages.

It’s fitting then that the Netherlands is home to an area known as Cheese Valley, made up of four regions: Gouda, BodegravenReeuwijk, Woerden and Krimpenerwaard.

Gouda cheese is famous around the globe and is one of the Netherlands’ biggest and most important export product

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 06

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

Interview with The Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana; H.E. Jeroen Verheul On the occasion of this year’s Orange Kings Day, Business24 speaks exclusively to the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, H.E Jeroen Verheul, on wide-ranging topics including the future of GhanaNetherlands bilateral relations and the key areas of economic cooperation post-Covid.

Q: What is your assessment of GhanaNetherlands relations over the past six months in office?

A: Relations between Ghana and the Netherlands date back to a very long time. I presented my credentials to the president in September and I recalled that I was treading in the footsteps of many predecessors. One of the first credentials was presented to the then Asante King some 321 years ago. So, there is a long history of political, diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries.

I feel humbled to be in such a long range of predecessors to continue strengthening and cementing those bilateral relations.

I have been in many mainly African countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Yemen, Ethiopia, Zambia, Cameroon etc so I’m not a newcomer to Africa but a newcomer to Ghana and for me, it’s a real pleasure to be here and to experience the west coast having mainly been working on the east coast of Africa.

In 1986, I started my diplomatic career in Cameroon, and this is my last posting before I retire. I’m happy to complete the full cycle.

Q: What are the key areas of cooperation between the two countries and how can this cooperation be solidified in a mutually beneficial way?

A: Both Netherlands and Ghana are working to deepen and strengthen relations to move beyond development, cooperation and assistance. On the Ghana side is “Ghana beyond Aid” agenda introduced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and on the Dutch side we have “From Aid to Trade” and I think these two agenda merges quite nicely. Our agenda has been put together for quite some time now and this year will be the last that we’ll be affecting payments under the bilateral development cooperation that’s run by this Embassy.

This is the impact of the moving from aid to trade agenda on the part of the Netherlands. We have stopped our bilateral aid programme through the embassy but we will continue to provide developmental assistance from the Foreign Ministry’s side and of course through multilateral institutions like the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the European Union. So, we will continue that kind of support through the United Nations, but our

bilateral programmes will be focusing on strengthening these trade and investment relationship.

Ghana has p r o g r e s s e d impressively in terms of both economic growth and infrastructure and it is our view that we should help to consolidate that improvement and to also strengthen the relations between the Netherlands and Ghana economically.

That is the primary focus of this Embassy.

Q: The Netherlands Embassy has continuously promoted and facilitated foreign investments from the Netherlands to Ghana, aside aiding Ghanaian companies looking for Dutch products and services. What is the long-term goal for this strategy?

A: Foreign direct investments are private sector decisions and so companies will have to decide where they invest. The Dutch government cannot force companies to invest in Ghana so what we need to do is to provide information and share what the implications are for companies that want to invest in Ghana. Of course, there are many advantages for companies to select Ghana as their investment destination because geographically, it has a very interesting position as an Anglophone country in a mainly Francophone region.

It also has a very impressive track record in terms of economic development and it is investing a lot of energy into promoting Ghana as an investment destination. So, there are many advantages for Dutch companies to choose Ghana as their stepping stone for investing in West Africa.

However, there are also challenges in investing in Africa and what we can do as a government institution is to help de-risk investments.

We have many instruments that can be given to companies to reduce the risks when they want to invest in Ghana. For example, there is the bilateral investment treaty between Ghana and the Netherlands which gives the opportunity for international arbitration in case there are disputes about an investment. It also provides guarantees for investors in terms of how they are being treated in Ghana and so investment treaty is one of the basic requirements that can help promote investments in Ghana.

Suffice to say that for the Netherlands

government and the Embassy, it is important to promote trade and investment and we’re very open to see how we can further the economic relations between the two countries.

Q: The Ghanaian economy is currently embarking on an aggressive industrialization drive. What are the prospects for trade between the two countries, and how does the Embassy intend to partner the Ghanaian government on this journey?

A: I’ll answer this question with two examples: One of the traditional products that have been traded between the Netherlands and Ghana is cocoa; we have been trading with Ghana for decades and Amsterdam, which is the capital of the Netherlands and also a big port, is handling a lot of cocoa from Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Many companies that are involved in this trade are also processing the cocoa in the Netherlands. The traditional way of trading was that the raw cocoa beans are imported from Ghana and processed in Amsterdam.

Over the years, we see that more and more companies are processing the cocoa beans in the countries of origin. Cargill, for instance, has a huge cocoa processing facility based here in the Tema Free Zone enclave. Recently, they expanded their capacity quite substantially so that more processing can be done locally and this an example with a traditional product like cocoa, where processing is transferred from the consuming countries to the producing countries.

Another example is animal feed where a traditional Dutch company produces feed for fish fingerlings and poultry. Their way of trading with Africa and Ghana was to produce the feed in the Netherlands and

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 07

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

transport that in containers and sell through agents here in Ghana. Over the years, they have created a very strong position on the Ghanaian market, especially amongst poultry and fish breeders so they are also now producing locally in Tema.

This means that, more jobs are created in Ghana as well as more economic added value, and that is a trend that we certainly would love to encourage. The major challenge here has been how they can get access to raw materials or inputs locally and that’s an area that the two governments have a role to play to ensure enhanced availability of raw materials so that these good developments can continue to prosper.

Q: What is your view on the Ghanaian government’s Ghana Beyond Aid agenda, and in what ways can the Netherlands contribute to this ambitious agenda?

A: It’s a bit complicated to put down all the different elements of that agenda but let me start at the point where they are in the Netherlands right now. We had elections last year and a new government has been set up. The Dutch political system is different from that of Ghana. We have several political parties that are represented in our parliament and for our government to be formed, we need to form a coalition between the political parties.

Part of the negotiations between the political parties is that, they form a coalition agreement in which they have agreed to strengthen the focus on promoting trade and investments in a number of countries

around the world. This is now being specified in a white paper for parliament and we’re currently in discussion about what this will mean for Ghana.

I’m pretty sure that Ghana will be one of the focus countries for the Netherlands to implement what we call the Nexus Policy. There is a nexus between aid, trade and investment and in this nexus we can create synergies between development aid instruments and traditional commercial and trade and investment promotion instruments. We want to strengthen the synergy and coherence between these different instruments so that Ghana can benefit from them.

Q: In your estimation, where do you see Ghana and Netherlands relations in the next few years?

A: I see them growing from strength to strength; recently, a few weeks ago we had the first political consultations between Ghana and the Netherlands when a delegation travelled to Accra to hold consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries and we agreed to have similar meetings in the Netherlands as well. This means that we are developing a relationship that is much broader than a development relationship or even trade and investment relationship. We are moving towards full-fledged political bilateral relationship and this is important because Ghana is now the Chair of ECOWAS and a member of the Security Council, taking its position in international relations and for Netherlands, it is important to maintain

good relations with countries that take an important role in international relations.

So, we are seeing the importance of Ghana rising in the international relations domain and therefore we need to increase our engagements with the country. If we look at the challenges internationally, they are quite substantial not just economic challenges but also environmental and climate related challenges.

Q: In conclusion, what is the significance of the Netherlands Orange Kings Day celebration and what are you hoping to achieve in celebrating King Willem-Alexander’s birthday this year?

A: Unfortunately there’s been a bit of a challenge with celebrating Kings Day. We used to have quite extensive activities around it, but we have not been able to do that due to Covid for the past two years. So, we are trying to gradually see how we can recapture that ground and to restart the activities this year, we will have an official reception on April 27 at my residence and also a cultural event at a colleague’s residence where we’ll feature a fusion of Ghanaian and Dutch culture in terms of both modern and traditional music, because that’s the best way to celebrate a birthday.

We used to have the Orange Week where we celebrated all kinds of different activities including promoting cycling which is a very typical Dutch activity that will be very interesting for Ghana to experience and to expand. We’ll be looking at spacing out some of these events all through the year.

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 08

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day PAGE 09

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

Bamson deepens relations with key distributors Bamson Company Limited is the local and sole representative of AkzoNobel (Sikkens) Car Refinishes BV of Holland.

The Akzo Nobel (Sikkens) Regional Sales Manager VR in charge of Sub Saharan Africa and Middle East, Mr. Imran Qutab, during his recent visit to Ghana has assured customers in Africa that Sikkens products supplied to the continent are of the same high quality as those in all parts of the world.

“At Akzo Nobel (Sikkens), we follow strict standard European regulations in our operations, so we do not have specific products for particular regions. The qualityof our products is the same wherever you find them,” he stressed.

Mr. Imran Syed Qutab was speaking at a meeting with distributors of Akzo Nobel (Sikkens) Car Refinishes (paints and other products).

According to Mr. Imran Qutab, auto paints and other products do not contain chemicals such as

lead, cyanide and chromate which are harmful to humans and the environment.

“Some competitors’ products on the market still contain those chemicals and consumers must therefore desist from choosing products just because they cost less and rather go for the best quality”. Consider quality not just cost, in order to avoid chemicals that may negatively affect your health, harm the environment and also prove to be expensive in the end,” he emphasized.

Mr. Imran Qutab said he had also in recent past introduced a new technology, the photo-spectrometer, which is a camera-like device that assesses colour formulations to help the customer to find the right colour match and thus improve customer satisfaction. www.bamson.com.gh

Managing Director, Mr. Kwame Ofosu Bamfo

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 10

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 11

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

Interview with Mohammed Samara, CEO of MPS Ltd. An exclusive interview with the Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Port Services Limited, Mohammed Samara, on the occasion of this year’s Orange Kings Day celebration Q: Generally, tell us about the impact of MPS Terminal 3 with regards to the ease of doing business and efficiency in cargo handling processes.

A: The port is the gateway to trade which is the backbone of the economy whether it’s import or export. The more efficient this port is the more efficient for trade and the economy itself. Previously, Tema Port did not operate 24/7 in terms of receipt and delivery, but we do that along with the loading and offloading of vessels. All statutory authorities agencies work with MPS round the clock overseeing the customs clearance processes and cargo inspection etc. and this has increased the throughput capacity of Tema Port.

If we look at the digitalization process, we have deployed the most advanced technology in the world. Now, a truck driver is recognized by the biometric system using only his fingerprint and his truck recognized by the Radio Frequency Identification System reading the RFID tag on the windscreen.

There is an automated truck appointment system that supervises the picking and dropping of containers at the terminal after both the driver and truck have been duly registered and taken through a safety induction programme to be able to transact business at Terminal 3 of Tema Port.

The entire process has been digitalized and this has significantly enhanced the ease of doing business. Today, the average import truck turnaround time is in minutes not in hours or days like it is in other places or neighbouring ports. The truck turnaround time has reduced significantly with time slot

allocations for drivers to choose anytime of the day and that helps with the workflow.

Q: Some shipping lines have named Tema Port as their transhipment hub for their Africa operations, what are the prospects of this development in terms of boosting intra-African trade?

A: Should Terminal 3 of Tema Port become a major transhipment hub, then the shipping lines will want to come here as their first port of call on the West African Coastline and by that, transit time from port of lading and container freight will be lesser than the second or third ports of call because the longer ships carry the cargo on the sea, the more bunkers they burn based

on the ships. So, being the first port of call after a long haul coming from the Far East will result in reduced freight to the Ghanaian Importer and Exporters and aside that transhipment will create connectivity with neighbouring ports which is really important.

Today, we have services that leave Tema and go to Cotonou or Lagos, and we have services that come from the Far East and do not go to Lome and Cotonou as well as other services that berth at Tema Port for other ships to move the goods to Abidjan.

We are creating connectivity with neighbouring port countries through other shipping lines that can the carry both here and there which can be beneficial to Ghanaian exporters because there are direct routes to these African countries. For the AfCFTA especially, this is required; it is an absolute need to help the connectivity and we are working on that.

Q: Port infrastructure is a capitalintensive project and MPH’s commitment in this area has been highly commendable. What is the motivation driving your aggressive investments to Ghana’s maritime space?

A: For our shareholders, their core business is transport in the means of sea, land logistics and air freight. So, just like how any industry will invest in their production line our shareholders are committed to investing in port facilities which is core business to the shareholders of MPS. Aside this, The Company’s Shareholders believes in the vision of establishing Ghana as a model maritime nation. So far Tema Port remains the preferred port for world shipping lines due to optimal characteristics such as the short waiting time at anchorage, fast vessel turnaround time, higher port capacity, and berth availability.

The Shareholders of MPS anticipate that with continuous improvement, The Tema Port will remain a key port in Africa and subsequently become a world player in the maritime space.

As a further demonstration of its commitment to ensuring the realisation of this vison, the shareholders have invested in very strategic times, currently, the Terminal is looking forward to receiving 15 additional cranes that were ordered in January 2022 to boost the Terminal capacity.

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 12

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

Q: What are the prospects of the ports for the nation’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) A: It’s like this; for the AfCFTA to succeed and for the cargo to flow from one point to another, we’ll need to upgrade the transport and logistics infrastructure. The first port to come out with this kind of modernization is Tema, so we stand a very good chance for attracting manufacturers to come and set up factories to produce in Ghana which is entitled to export into the AfCFTA regions and where the logistics infrastructure and trade lane connectivity are will established.

Having the connectivity here and being the first port of call as a transhipment hub, we’ll be connecting the consumers to the markets and if the producers are in Ghana then basically we are creating jobs for Ghanaians and bringing hard currency into the economy. For instance, if you look at Malaysia and Singapore, there are or were small industrial countries that got transformed with a lot of factories that produce goods for export on industrial enclaves in close proximity to their hub.

In Africa, we can look at Tangier, which used be a small corner in Morocco but as soon as a hub was created there, all the big industrial names and producers set up factories there because Tangier connects the Mediterranean to Africa, Europe, Far East and the Americas and so it became a central location.

So, it is important to have infrastructure for the AfCFTA to really succeed and we are the first to provide that.

In fact, according to an April 2022 report by the UN’s Economic Commission for Africa, the AFCFTA is expected to boost intra-African trade by around 40%, with extensive benefits to the transport sectors and so Ghana’s Ports have a huge potential for growth and will continue to attract more business as general trade moves up.

Q: What measures will you recommend, by way of regulations and incentives, for investors in the port sector like yourself?

A: As a forward-looking nation, our focus

should centre around creating a sustainable and investor friendly environment. For us as a port operator, we can make the infrastructure; we have Phase 2 now and we can go for Phase3. But the flow that feeds this is the trade and industry traffic.

So, we should look at other matters that make this flow come. We need to ease the way of acquiring industrial property for the investor to build on, reduce the cost of energy and ease the way of doing business.

The port operator is one stakeholder among few that need to upgrade the service levels and put in place the policies that attract industrial investments like Customs and other Statutory Authorities. Certainly the creation of industrial enclaves around Tema will lead to the creation of tax-paying jobs for skilled labour that generate export trade with added value that resides in Ghana therefore a favourable tax regime will be of the essence.

Q: Finally, how big is the prospect for Ghana’s maritime trade and logistics business, how brighter or gloomy is the outlook?

A: This is a difficult question because last year was extraordinary, the pandemic created a big wave of volume as people stayed at home in some countries though the parameters may differ. People working from home got the chance to buy things that they needed to operate from home including tables, chairs, comfortable sofa or a bigger television. All of these generated quite a bit of trade and demand for things to come whilst some industries were reducing production capacity because most

people were laid off.

This created a boom in 2021 which was a fantastic year trade wise across the globe.

But demand was not sustained in 2022 because people were no longer buying new things and so the rush was slowed down, although it’s now normalizing. What is not helping cost to go down in the maritime industry is sea freight which is because of high demand from the pacific, across China to America.

OUR CSI FOOTPRINT We delivered strong sustainability since the start of business, but our work to drive further improvements in alignment with society’s long-term challenges and expectations never ends.

This goes without saying that the impact of MPS goes beyond the Port. From road infrastructure to Health and Educational resourcing, MPS has engaged in some highlevel social impact projects.

From the onset of the construction of MPS Terminal 3, we set up a Turtle Hatchery in fulfilment of the company’s Environmental Action Plans for Sea Turtle Conservation (No-Net-Loss commitment) and as per the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standard. This hatchery is still operated by the Company along the coastal towns in the catchment area along with education of community members on the relevance of turtles to our ecosystem.

The company is also a Partner to the Orange Corners Program, an innovative program by the Royal Netherlands Embassy aimed at raising the next generation of sustainable entrepreneurs.

On its environmental front, The MPS Terminal 3 Facility is a certified Green Terminal. This was after an audit of its facility, equipment, energy consumptions, operating processes among many other subjects.

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 13

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 14

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

Adonai Shipping: Championing seamless service delivery in Ghana’s shipping sector

By Patrick Paintsil

Dutch shipping, logistics and oil and gas services provider Adonai Shipping birthed Adonai Shipping Ghana in 2009, providing a wide range of maritime and oil and gas services. The Ghanaian company first started in the maritime sector providing crew to offshore ships working in Takoradi around the rigs as we focused strongly on the oil and gas business. Over the years, additional services such as ship chandelling and logistics have been added with the latter becoming its key area of focus of the business going into the future.

Before starting the Ghanaian company, Adonai Holland was mainly in the business of maritime crewing, mostly putting Ghanaian seafarers onboard of ships in European waters.

Following a joint venture in 2015, between parent company Adonai Shipping Limited Ghana and Swire Pacific Offshore of Singapore, additional services were added, mainly in providing offshore vessels to the upstream petroleum sector, to rigs working offshore Takoradi. The vision for setting up the joint partnership was to forge the right mix of expertise, leverage the signature Dutch work ethics and market presence of both parties to offer seamless services in the core areas of shipping, manning, chandelling and logistics.

The operations of Adonai Shipping Ghana are driven largely by its Dutch expertise and business culture which it has diligently infused into every area of the business and these solid values has seen the company grow into a formidable player in Ghana shipping and logistics industry.

According to its Managing Director, Seth Dowuona Owoo, the company has been built around honesty, openness and integrity in all of its dealings with customers and stakeholders.

“What we bring differently to the domestic shipping and logistics business environment is the Dutch business ethics: we always want to work with trusted and reliable partners who will offer value for money services to our clients along the value chain,” he told Business24 in an exclusive interview.

Adonai Shipping is TRACE-certified, a reputable recognition from a global antibribery organization which does periodic due diligence checks on its operations to

ensure transactions are being done in the most fair, transparent and honest manner.

“I believe we have brought our Dutch way of working into the company in Ghana which is quite different from how things are done on the local business environment.

We believe that it is possible to incorporate Dutch procedures and ways of approaching issues into the way things are done in Ghana and drive the sustainability of the company,” Director of Finance, Mrs. Christel Dowuona Owoo, said.

As a forward-looking brand, the company is nursing an ambitious desire to enter the maritime logistics and transport value chain strongly in its quest to play a pivotal role in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

This new focus will be buoyed by leveraging its membership with the OBL Network, which a global trade logistics network of elite and trusted shipping services providers with footprints across Africa.

“The logistics sector is where we will be able to expand our services because we see more possibilities right now, especially in the wake of the single continental market.

Our membership with OBL Network also allows us to do more international business through a trusted network of trade agents and facilitators on the African continent,” she added.

According to Ephraim Djabanor Tetteh, Adonai’s Sales Supervisor, the surging cargo volumes through Ghana’s ports also open up opportunities for cargo handling supply chain and transportation services.

“Our main focus now is logistics in the areas of clearing, forwarding and import and exports as well as cargo haulage services.

We currently transport goods to landlocked countries in West Africa. As a third-party business, we are looking at exploring that aspect of the maritime transport sub-sector even better,” he indicated.

Adonai Shipping is seeking to invest further into critical infrastructure and logistics such as commercial storage and warehousing facilities, fleet of trucks and human capital as it seeks to reposition to explore the domestic maritime logistics sector.

“To be able to serve better in this space, we’re looking to invest heavily to help undertake projects on our own. Although we work with trusted thirdparty firm to the best of our knowledge, we believe that will enable us to offer high-end value to our business clients,” said Mrs. Owoo.

Adonai Shipping has a plausible ambition for Ghana’s export trade sector; working with smallholder agro-producers and out-grower groups, the company is seeking to assist farmers to access the export market to support government’s quest to build an export-driven economy.

The plan is to serve as the sole intermediary between farmers and the export market and by so doing build their competence and capacity to expand their business, improve their livelihoods and make them financially secured.

“We want to work with these farmers to first see opportunities in the open market, specifically the AfCFTA and also offer them assistance with logistics and export processes. We want to empower these farmers to stand on their feet as players in the exports value chain,” Mr. Dowuona Owoo further indicated.

The company’s dedication and commitment to Ghana’s shipping, oil and gas and logistics sectors have been duly recognised by the industry with several awards to its name. Among them are: 2017: Maritime & Shipping Awards: Lifetime Achievement (CEO award); 2017: Ghana Oil & Gas Awards (GOGA); Oil & Gas Service Company of the year (company award); 2018: Ghana Oil & Gas Awards (GOGA); Oil & Gas service company of the year (company award); and Indigenous Oil Company of the year (company award).

Other recognitions include: 2019: Ghana Oil & Gas Awards (GOGA) Oil & Gas Service Company of the year (company award); Oil & Gas personality of the year (CEO award).

2020: Ghana Oil & Gas Awards (GOGA); Oil & Gas Service Company of the year (company award); Oil & Gas personality of the year (CEO award); 2021: Ghana Oil & Gas Awards (GOGA); Oil & Gas service company of the year (company award); Oil & Gas logistics company of the year (company award) and Oil & Gas personality of the year (CEO award).

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 15

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 16

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

Company Profile Hygiene-Shine Services Limited formally known as Kleenex Services Limited was established in January 2010 in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana as a service oriented company that offers diverse services for individuals, companies and governments.

We offer the following services: • • • • •

Janitorial Services, Sale of Janitorial, Hygiene and Sanitary Products, Janitorial Training and Setting up Colour Coding Scheme.

Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services, Gardening and Landscaping Services Pest Control and Fumigation Services Pool Cleaning and Maintenance Services

Excellence: At Hygiene Shine Services, we seek to provide the best quality experience with regards to our cleaning and our customer service.

Integrity: We hold ourselves to the highest standards of accountability.

We strive to act with honesty, openness and to be the embodiment of the words we speak.

Accountability: Taking responsibility to complete your tasks, to perform the duties required by your job and to be present for your shifts in order to fulfill and further the goals of the company.

Professionalism: Adhering to the company’s standards and expectations in regards to appearance, attitude, behaviour and performance when dealing with coworkers and customers.

With several years of training and experience our clients are guaranteed nothing less than premium and professional services.

Innovation: Exhibiting curiosity, committing to exploration and evolution

Mission Statement

Why Hygiene Shine?

Our mission is to provide the extra service required in maintaining a clean and pleasant environment by paying attention to details and focusing on areas most cleaning services overlook.

We provide our clients a complete package with a team of trained and efficient staff who will ensure that our clients are totally satisfied with services provided at an affordable price.

We practice the Colour Coding technique with regards to our Equipment and Detergents. We accommodate staff and equipment as necessary to be absolutely certain that whatever cleaning task needs to be done, is completed on time and without compromise.

Our Vision Our vision is working to be recognized by our clients, employees and the industry as the most respected and the leading provider of cleaning services and facilities support service in the country.

Respect: Hygiene Shine Services is an inclusive organisation where people of all creeds are welcomed and respected on their merits.

Hygiene-shine strives to ensure total customer satisfaction and we are very positive that we can establish a beneficial and lasting relationship with your organization.

Our detergents and equipment are environmentally friendly and we adhere to the mandatory safety codes and work ethics to ensure that our staff and clients are safe and protected.

We also provide a comprehensive cleaning schedule and checklist designed specifically for your facility with the expertise and ability to provide additional services when needed.

Responsibility: We strive to act with integrity towards our staff, our customers, the community and the environment.

Our System for Award Management (SAM) details are as follows:

Loyalty: Build a strong connection with staff and customers.

SAM Unique Entity Number: HEANJ5S4PTP7 Duns: 561208964 Ncage: SBBD1.

Our Values

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 17

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

A Cycling Nation Flat, peaceful and pretty as a picture, the Netherlands is the perfect place to get on your bike and start exploring – no matter your fitness level or riding experience.

Famous for its cyclist-friendly infrastructure, with more than 32,000 kilometers of bicycle paths throughout the country, there’s so much to discover on a Dutch cycling holiday: from historic cities and Golden Age art to world-class architecture and bucolic landscapes. Soak up the variety of tours and get inspired by our picks of the best organized bicycle holidays in the Netherlands.

Arts: The Dutch Masters Do you love art and culture? Discover the selection of highlights in Holland here.

How about old masters who managed to record Dutch history on canvas? You can also see modern architecture and internationally acclaimed Dutch Design.

• Arts: The Dutch Masters Dutch masters left their mark on their discipline, whether it was painting or architecture. Painters like Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh had a huge impact on the history of a rt. And today, too, masters like the architect Rem Koolhaas are able to inspire people with their work.

To experience the Dutch Masters in an extraordinary way, you should definitely visit Remastered in Rotterdam. In 60 minutes, you will walk through an impressive digital ‘experience’ which displays modern edits of classic works.

Using light, technology and sensory stimulation, several leading Dutch digital studios have given classics like Mondrian and Van Gogh an entirely new appeal.

The Netherlands celeberate King’s Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

PAGE 18

THE NETHERLANDS - GHANA GROWING TOGETHER

BUSINESS24.COM.GH