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Lack of human resource skill set to execute projects.
Delay in payment for work done by clients which affects the company’s cash flow.
Difficulty in getting operating license from countries it intends to operate in.
CSR if any:
Have no formalized CSR policy but undertakes CSR when needed. Provided funds for the Citi FM initiative of sponsoring brilliant but needy
students. The company sometimes delivers its services free-of-charge to NGOs e.g. Save
our Soul SOS.
AlliancePartnership Potential highmediumlow: High
Program Areas Project Overlap:
Their bulk SMS service can be utilized to send messages to target groups.
Company assets:
ICT technology, content expertise and funds.
Previouscurrent engagement with USAID if any: None known
Drawbacks mini-due diligence:
Can only provide SMS efficiently for ICT assignment.
Point of Contact:
Ernest Kwesi Apenteng Director of Sales
T: +233 302 256859 M: +233 20 2532277
E: ernestsmsgh.com Website:
www.smsgh.com
Interview Summary: Star Assurance
Star Assurance
Business SectorIndustry:
Insurance
Location of OperationsProduction: Ghana
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Date of Interview: July 2, 2015
Location of Interview: Accra, Ghana
Company FocusProduct:
Star Assurance Company Limited was incorporated in 1984 and is licensed under the Insurance Law, 1989 PNDCL 227 to carry on composite insurance
business in Ghana. The company has its head office in Accra, with nine 9 branch offices in seven
of the countrys ten regions. The company operates contact offices in Central, Upper West and Upper East
regions of Ghana. The company, which commenced business in April 1985 is now among the top
four insurance companies in Ghana. The company offers insurance in the following areas; Bankers Indemnity,
Burglary Insurance, Business Interruption, Cash-In-Transit Safe, Comprehensive Homeowners, Construction Custom Bonds, Contractors All
Risk, Electronic Equipment, Employers Liability, Fidelity Guarantee, Fire Allied Perils, Goods-In-Transit, Marine Insurance, Motor, Personal Accident,
Professional Indemnity, Public Liability Products Liability and Travel Insurance.
Business Interests:
Star Assurance is interested in extending its products to sectors that have significant numbers of firms conducting or undertaking sustainable businesses.
Star Assurance is also interested in developing tailor-made insurance products for institutions, organizations and projects in the form of sustainable partnership.
Business Challenges:
Non-disclosure of material facts. That is inability of clients to provide all the necessary information to aid in insurance appraisal.
Inability of clients to cooperate with the company in assessing losses thereby delaying claim payments.
Non-adherence to professional advice on the part of clients to reduce losses or accidents.
Inability of some clients to pay assessed premium rates for adequate cover of their assets.
CSR if any:
Most CSR activities of the company are done to market the firm’s products.
Cash and in-kind donations to orphanages. Sponsored educational trips involving the provision of free insurance cover for
students on educational trips abroad. Free insurance cover for sports fans who travelled to watch the World Cup in
Brazil.
AlliancePartnership Potential highmediumlow: High
Program Areas Project Overlap:
Provision of well-structured insurance products for the fishermen and fish processors if there is clear demonstration that there are significant number of
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actors in this sector.
Company assets:
Insurance experience, liquidity, wide coverage, expertise and recognition.
Previouscurrent engagement with USAID if any: None known Drawbacks mini-due diligence:
Without demonstration that there are significant number of actors in the downstream and upstream fishing sector it will be difficult to establish a
partnership. This is because the company deals with numbers in insurance appraisal.
Point of Contact:
Ann-Marie Owusu Head, Corporate Relations Unit
T: +233 302 245906245 908 M: +233 243 116619
E: abrobbeystarassuranc.com
Website: www.starassurance.com
Interview Summary: Subah Infosolutions
Subah Infosolutions
Business SectorIndustry:
Information, Communication and Technology ICT
Location of OperationsProduction:
Accra,
Ghana Date of Interview:
June 9, 2015 Location of Interview:
Accra, Ghana Company FocusProduct:
Subah Infosolutions was established in Ghana in 2010 as a wholly owned Ghanaian ICT company.
Subah is a member of the Jospong Group of companies. The Jospong Group of companies, which was established in 1995, currently
operates in twelve sectors namely Building Construction, Printing Publishing, ICT, Waste Management, Mining and Quarrying, Oil Gas,
Automobile, Plant Equipment, Skill Development, Financial Services, Public Health Safety, Logistics Supply Chain and Transport Haulage.
Subah Infosolutions design, implement and manage integrated communications and networking environments to drive collaboration, business flexibility and
growth Subah services include; converged communications services, mobility and
wireless services, network integration services, networking strategy , optimization services RFID Radio Frequency Identification services and
telecom expense management services with some specific services under these headings being data management, integrated solutions, IT projects, IT training
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and telecommunication services. Subah products include; document management system, health management,
revenue and tax collection facilities, revenue assurance and monitoring facilities, SIM-Box Fraud detection facilities and WorldGSM
TM
. The company is responsible for monitoring the activities of all the
telecommunication service providers in Ghana.
The company’s apps are normally web-based and has a strong data back-up for unseen eventualities.
Business Interests:
Subah is keen in helping the National Communication Authority, telecom service providers and other stakeholders eradicate SIM-Box fraud so the telecom
carriers and government maximize the needed revenue.
Subah is interested in developing innovative ICT solutions that address contemporary issues in the area of SMS, voice, weather information, data
capturing and data processing.
Subah is interested in using proven methodologies and their business solutions expertise, in strategic partnership with other global and local industry leaders, to
help create integrated communications environment that drives business flexibility and growth.
Subah is interested in synchronizing data using GSM with all SMSText ,Voice and USSD Unstructured Supplementary Service Data USSD is a technology
that allows users to access various services through the use of short codes capabilities using short codes which can cut across all platforms of the Telecom
carriers.
Business Challenges:
The inability of most clients to conceptualize the kind of ICT based services they want.
Lack of adequate understanding by most clients of iterations and flowcharts of developed prototypes of systems that have to be tested.
Locally based Data Center which requires extensive backup systems and standby generators due to unreliable power from the national grid.
CSR if any:
The company’s CSR focus is mainly on education.
The company has trained over 600 students in Kumasi in ICT.
AlliancePartnership Potential highmediumlow: High
Program Areas Project Overlap:
The company has the necessary infrastructure and expertise to develop the technology to report illegal fishing activities as well as transfer fish catch data
from district offices to the consolidation center at the Fish and Fisheries Unit of Fisheries Commission.
The company also has the capability to develop apps for the registration of vessels, including canoes or boats as well as registration of number of businesses
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or folks engaged in fishing and other related data that can aid in decision making.
Company assets:
ICT experience, solvent, infrastructure, expertise, resources from within a global group and access to funds.
Previouscurrent engagement with USAID if any: None Known
Drawbacks mini-due diligence:
The company has not executed projects that target the Bottom of Pyramid and may not be able to adequately understand their challenges in the use of ICT and
conduct participatory trainings in local languages for grassroots fisher folk.
Point of Contact:
Daniel Marfo General Manager Operations
T: +233 302 982547 302 982538 M: +233 50 1421371
E: dmaafosubahghana.com Website:
