The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) president Richard Ngatia has been appointed as a member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) -World Chambers Federation General Council (WFC).
Ngatia becomes the first Kenyan to sit on the council of the powerful lobby for trade chambers with his appointment seen as a major boost to local businesses.
He has been appointed to the WFC for a two-and-a-half-year term effective January 1, 2023.
ICC known as Chambre de commerce international in French Lingua is the largest, most representative business organization in the world with over 45 million members in more than 100 countries who have interests spanning every sector of private enterprise.
Yesterday, President William Ruto congratulated Ngatia for his appointment.
“We congratulate the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its chairman Richard Ngatia for the appointment co-option into the International Chamber of Commerce. This is instrumental as we prepare to host the Kenya International Conference in March 2023.” The president who doubles as the KNCCI patron said.
Kenya has embarked on an aggressive campaign to open more market opportunities abroad and deepen trade ties with traditional allies.
The lobby draws members from over 100 countries worldwide and only 20 personalities are elected to sit on the WCF council.
“I am delighted to extend my congratulations and confirm your appointment to serve on the WCF General Council as a co-opted member. I look forward to working together in connecting chambers, supporting MSMEs and contributing to our strategy to reinforce our chamber community,” said WFC chairperson Nicolas Uribe.
Appointment to the powerful business lobby for traders comes at a time KNCCI has been pushing for more linkages with countries in Europe and Asia in a bid to open up more markets for Kenyan products and services.
Previously, Ngatia was elected as the pioneer chairman of the Great Lakes Region Private Sector Forum (GLR-PSF), a position which he has since relinquished.
Some of the key economies that KNCCI has targeted to link Kenyan traders with include China, France and South Korea with an emphasis on reducing trade barriers that hamper the movement of local products into these markets.
Ngatia is expected to leverage his position to lobby and influence decisions that will boost Kenyan products and services in international markets.
The Kenyan government has also made Small and Medium Enterprises a key plank of its efforts to create more jobs and grow the economy, yet again bringing to the fore the significance of Ngatia’s new position on the WCF.
WCF said that Ngatia will be part of a core team tasked with linking the global chamber with trade bodies across the world in support of the SME sector.
Ngatia is set to attend the inaugural meeting for the new WFC council on February 28, 2023, which will be held in Bogota, Colombia.
ICC has three main activities: rule setting, dispute resolution, and policy advocacy. Because its member companies and associations are themselves engaged in international business, ICC has unrivalled authority in making rules that govern the conduct of business across borders.
ICC supports the work of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and many other intergovernmental bodies, both international and regional, such as G20 on behalf of international business. ICC was the first organization granted general consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and UN Observer Status.
