Banking

A regulatory crackdown on poor business practices and weak capital positions in Ghana’s banking sector has resulted in a series of market exits since August 2017. The outcome is a smaller but more sustainable banking industry, though this has come at a price. The Bank of Ghana puts the total cost of its clean-up operation at GHS10.98bn ($2.1bn), equivalent to over 3% of the nation’s GDP in 2019. The central bank’s reform effort means that Ghana’s banks will have greater capacity to respond to rising demand from the private sector, thanks to larger capital bases and improved corporate governance structures. Demand for credit is likely to be driven by growing sectors such as manufacturing and mining, as well as the government’s need for debt financing to cover its fiscal deficit. This chapter also contains interviews with Ernest Addison, Governor, Bank of Ghana; and Julian Opuni, Managing Director, Fidelity Bank.