Report – Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2025

On Wednesday, 30th July 2025, GNBCC held its Annual General Meeting (AGM), reviewing the year 2024, at the La Villa Boutique Hotel in Accra.

Once the required quorum of 25% of member companies was confirmed, the meeting officially commenced. The Chairman of the Board, Mr. Kofi Polley, delivered the welcome address and invited the Board Secretary, Ms. Bernice Aikins, to read the AGM notice. This was followed by a review of the previous year’s AGM minutes, during which members had the opportunity to suggest corrections. After a motion was moved and passed, the Chairman delivered his official address, reflecting on the year under review.

In his speech, Mr. Polley highlighted the board’s strategy for the year—strengthening GNBCC’s three core pillars: Membership, Projects, and Business Services.

“I am pleased to report that we have seen notable improvements across all these areas. 2024 was a particularly active year for GNBCC.”

He further emphasized the momentum gained through the implementation of the Private Sector Development (PSD) Projects, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. These projects continue to focus on strengthening Ghana’s horticulture sector, with special attention to youth employment, women’s empowerment, diaspora engagement, and creating an enabling business environment in Ghana.

GNBCC organized over 10 events in 2024, including networking cocktails with members and other chambers, presidential candidate engagements, matchmaking sessions with Dutch delegations, the Orange Pavilion at the Ghana Agrofood Fair, and various training programs—all aimed at deepening member value and visibility.

One of the most notable moments of the AGM was Mr. Polley’s announcement that his tenure as Board Chairman had come to an end. He reflected on the significance of his time with the organization, especially given that People’s Pension Trust (PPT), his organization, was one of the founding members of GHANEEC. He also paid tribute to the late Mr. Samuel Waterberg, former PPT CEO and Treasurer on GNBCC’s first Board. Mr. Polley ended his speech by expressing deep gratitude to both General Managers he had worked with—Ms. Hilde Famaey and Mr. Tjalling Wiarda—as well as his fellow Board members for their unwavering support.

The next agenda item was the presentation of audited accounts and financials. Mr. Akwasi Dampson, GNBCC’s Financial Manager, introduced Morrison & Associates, the organization’s external auditors, who shared their statement and findings for the year. This was followed by a detailed financial breakdown from Mr. Dampson covering expenses, income, liabilities, and more. Members had the opportunity to ask questions and gain clarity on the financials presented.

Following this, Ms. Hilde Famaey, General Manager, delivered her management report, giving an overview of 2024, and a brief on her time since assuming office in February 2025. She presented developments on membership growth (2020–2025), membership activities for 2024 and 2025, projects, business support, and assignments.

Her report highlighted the organization’s continued growth and restructuring efforts aimed at delivering more value to members. Key developments included:

· The rebranding of the Dutch Export Academy to the Export Bridge.

· The extension of the HBC training from a 10-day program to a 2 month internship model.

· The launch of the SME Desk.
These initiatives are still centered around the horticulture sector with strong focus on youth employment, women’s empowerment, diaspora, and enabling business environments.

Membership also saw healthy growth. In 2024, GNBCC welcomed 9 new members, and by mid-2025, 15 new members had already joined. Ms. Famaey expressed excitement about upcoming activities and their expected impact, promising a full report at the next AGM.

The next item was the board resolution and election, facilitated by Board Member, Dr. Kweku Ainuson. Mr. Kofi Polley and Mr. Robert Quartey, whose terms had ended, were acknowledged with farewell messages. Bernice Aikins received a plaque on behalf of Mr. Quartey, while Mr. Polley was also honored with a plaque and bouquet.

Dr. Ainuson then conducted the election of new board members. Five candidates had expressed interest, coinciding with five available slots. A quick vote of “Aye” was cast, confirming their appointments. The new board members are:

· Max H. Essoh Latte – Managing Director, Cargill Ghana Limited

· Evelyn Ama Lokko – Operations Manager, Philips Ghana Limited

· Augustine Ansah Akrofi – Country Representative, Ecorys BV

· Isabelle Indeweij Gerlings – Country Manager, KLM Air France

· Theophilus Ayitey-Adjin – CEO, Niiplants Group

To close the session, Ms. Hilde Famaey invited Ms. Tracy Abbey Mensah, Project Manager, to officially launch GNBCC’s new website. The platform is designed to be an information hub for stakeholders, members, and international partners regarding trade and Ghana–Netherlands relations. Ms. Mensah has been instrumental in its development and announced that while the platform is now live, work will continue to fully transition it for optimal use. It will run concurrently with the current site, www.gnbcc.net, and be used to share updates and newsletters from Friday, 22nd August 2025.

The evening ended with a photo session and a networking cocktail in the garden.

We extend our sincere appreciation to all members who attended and submitted proxies, helping to make the meeting a success. To our outgoing board members—thank you for your outstanding service. And to the newly elected members, welcome aboard. We look forward to the future with great optimism.