The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the leading association of business operators, firms and industries promoting commercial and industrial interests in Ghana. It aims to lead the healthy growth of the Ghanaian economy and to help entrepreneurial development of companies and organisations engaged in investment, trade, commerce, agriculture, industry and manufacturing. The Chamber has a membership of over 2000 which incorporates organisations across the numerous sectors of the economy. All registered businesses in the country are offered membership and can benefit from a wide range of services including human resource development, business support services, trade fairs and exhibitions, export development, business missions and consultancy.
Other Chambers of Commerce include Ghana France Chamber of Commerce, Ghana British Chamber of Commerce and Ghana Belgium Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
There are numerous trade associations in Ghana, many of them working as single purpose vehicles for specific sectors. Most of the major sectors in the Ghana are involved in some respect with a trade association. A prominent example is the Private Enterprise Foundation, which has working relationships with several other trade and business associations.
Another significant player in the country is the Association of Ghana Industries, which is open to all registered companies involved in manufacturing or provision of services to the manufacturing sector. The Association has over 1200 registered members across the country, of which about 20% are medium and large-scale industries while the rest are micro and small-scale organisations. Some of these are also represented by the Ghana Manufacturers Association.
Other associations represent smaller sectors in the country, such as the Association of Certified Chartered Economists, Association of Road Contractors, Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters, Ghana Association of Savings and Loans Companies, Ghana Institute of Architects, Ghana Real Estate Developers Association, Shipowners and Agents Association of Ghana, and the Medical and Dental Council.
Cooperation in labour-employer relations in Ghana is very slightly below average according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report (2012-13). The country was given a value of 4.2 out of 7, compared to the world mean of 4.3, with 7 representing a country in which relations are generally cooperative. This placed Ghana 76th out of 144 countries.
In relation to flexibility of wage determination Ghana placed 105th, with a value of 4.6 out of 7. Coming slightly below the world mean of 4.9, this suggests that wage determination in the country tends slightly more than average towards a centralised bargaining process.
