Ghana Economy

As is the case in many emerging markets, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in Ghana’s economy, driving both activity and employment. Still, their impact is lower than it could be due to a challenging operating environment.

Outperformance remains the key feature of Ghana’s economy, seven years after the discovery of oil prompted new optimism in the country, which was then celebrating the golden jubilee of its independence. But the GDP growth experienced in 2012 and in the early part of 2013 has been accompanied by an expansion in government borrowing and a worrying...

In 2012 Ghana found itself in the spotlight for having among the highest GDP growth rates in the world in 2011, thanks to the impact of oil revenues and the rebasing of the economy. The GDP figures released for 2013 show that growth is continuing at a robust rate – at just under 8% – but headline expansion has not resolved the twin current account...

Although there is always scope for improvement, Ghana’s judicial system – particularly as it relates to business activities – is one of the more effective and transparent on the continent. This is due in large part to a series of targeted changes that have sought to strengthen the judiciary’s independence, roll out new channels of dispute...

One of the key defining narratives of Ghana’s economic growth has been its participation in the increasingly expansive role of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Founded in 1975, ECOWAS has been pursuing its goal of regional economic integration for nearly four decades now. In recent years, as the EU has stumbled and...

Broad economic growth and political stability have enabled Ghana to vastly improve living standards across the country in recent years, but reducing poverty and inequality remains one of its principal challenges. Recent government reform of the social sectors, particularly the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2003,...