- discuss how technology is helping plug revenue loopholes
Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) Ghana, a revenue assurance and audit firm, has hosted MBA students from Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business, Washington D.C, USA, to seek practical exposure on how Ghanaian businesses are leveraging technology to impact lives and transform the economy.
The students, made up of different nationalities, are part of Georgetown’s Emerging Markets Network (EMN) – a student-led organization that promotes an understanding of emerging markets within the Georgetown community, facilitates a network of globally-minded individuals, and provides the community with resources to enable them to gain promising careers and opportunities in emerging markets.
The EMN organization facilitated the international trek experience to Ghana which has taken them to other companies in other sectors of the economy. Students’ backgrounds before business school were in management consulting, tech, real estate, finance, non-profit, and healthcare.
Addressing the students, Managing Director for SML Ghana, Christian Tetteh Sottie expressed his gratitude for the recognition of the company’s work across the world adding that the visit serves as a springboard to continue to offer the best services possible in order to advance the nation.
“The use of SML Ghana as a case study by these international students is highly welcomed, and we appreciate it because what we are doing is valued both domestically and internationally. These students have traveled to visit us in order to learn about what we do and how it affects our economy, and this visit will only strengthen our resolve to keep doing what we are already doing whiles we look for additional ways to improve,” he said.
He said the organization’s next goal, is to provide such added value services across other economic sectors to aid in the country’s economic transformation. “We are in the downstream sector and in our next phase,we hope to be in the upstream sector where there is the drilling of hydrocarbons and the crude gas. Our aim is to also move into other sectors including the mining sector,” he said.
SML Ghana’s use of technology at more than 16 petroleum depots across the country has seen a significant rise in government revenues from the sector. Due to its end-to-end audit technology, revenue loopholes have been blocked and the direct impact has seen more than a billion cedis accrue to the government within 10 months of operation.
The President of Georgetown’s Emerging Markets Network (EMN) and an MBA student, Esther Adusei, explained that the goal of the trek to Ghana is for students to explore diverse business models and industries in Ghana and learn about how start-ups, established companies, and small and medium enterprises are adapting their business models to meet the needs of their customers, impacting their communities.
“This year, EMN has picked Ghana as our first destination for what we plan to be an annual trek to the African continent. We will be visiting companies in Ghana in various industries to learn about how business is done in Africa. Our trek, in accordance with the goals of the McDonough School of Business, fosters a global learning experience through the understanding of the business landscape and the cultural experience of an emerging market like Ghana,” she explained.
Touching on the SML Ghana experience, she noted that SML Ghana was chosen as a case study due to the significant impact it has made in a short period of time.
“One of the things we wanted to do as a network was to bring emerging markets to the perspective of MBA students, because we believe it is the next frontier of opportunities and investments. We wanted to explore how businesses can be profitable and also impact communities and SML is really unique in that way because they have shown significant impact. So, while reviewing businesses making great impact in Ghana, SML came as one of such great companies to use as a case study to inspire the students,” she said.
She urged the government to increase economic transformation in the nation by examining more transparency in other sectors using the SML approach.
The President of the Student Government at Georgetown, Luke McGinty extended gratitude to SML for the warm reception and exposure of the organization’s facilities to them. “I have had the good fortune to travel to Ghana and it is truly amazing to learn about the incredible advancements SML has achieved. One of the things that was most interesting is seeing how technology and business can intersect to make government more accountable, and to basically just create more resources for people to do,” he said.
The students also toured Ghana’s Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) and other companies in the Financial Services and Energy sector which include Chipper Cash-fintech; Blackstar Group-financial services; Letshego-microfinance; Cenpower-power utility; and Cybele Energy-Oil & Gas.
The full list of students include Esther Adusei; Nii Adamah Annan; Joao Felipe Gomes de Almeida; Chamme Moratwa; Jessica McLemore; Alexander Fine; Madison Moore; Laura Caicedo; Dazell Washington; Herrera Arturo; Seth Tanvi; Samad Reed; Caroline Fernandez; Andres Brillembourg; Luke McGinty; Tarun Thomas Philip; Samantha Poremba; Natalia Velasquez; Wucheng Wen; Genevieve Enowmbitang; Maesha Ulcena; Lauren Robinson; Wyesha Dillard; Andres Ramos; Renzo, Morales Miraval; Kofi Sakyi; Denise Morris; Kilandra Bass; Tereza Yerimyan; Sean Stanton; James Cogman; Erin Buthman; Shaurya Singh; and David Keptsi.
About SML Ghana
SML Ghana is steered by a governing board and has two main divisions specializing in the Audit of Downstream Petroleum Products and Trade Transaction Pricing and Business Process Audits at its Tema and Osu offices respectively. SML has grown and remained an initiative provider, solution finder, perfect and precise service Delivery Company.
The company’s mission is to offer durable and efficient solutions that power businesses and drive trade, enhancing national revenue through the deployment of state-of-the-art technology and skilled human resources across multiple channels. Its vision is to become a key decision driver as far as Trade and Revenue Assurance matters are concerned.
About Emerging Market Network (EMN) at Georgetown University
The EMN club aims to promote an understanding of emerging markets within the Georgetown community, facilitate a network of globally-minded individuals, and provide their members with resources to enable them to gain promising careers and opportunities in emerging markets. As a leading global business program, Georgetown attracts top students from emerging markets as well as students with a global mindset. Members are MBA students from Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business, graduating in 2023 and 2024. Students’ backgrounds before business school were in Management consulting, Tech, Real Estate, Finance, non-profit, and healthcare. Most students coming on the international trek are a part of the Emerging Markets Network (EMN) – the organization facilitating the international trek experience to Ghana.
EMN is creating a wider network of students with a global mindset, connecting them to emerging markets through education, social events, and career development while in school and beyond graduation. Some of their past events have included the annual Georgetown University Africa Business Conference, Business Roundtable CEO Innovation Summit, and Embassy Visit Day in Washington DC.
