The Ghana Association of Banks (GAB) has strengthened its partnership with the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GNCCI) following a high-level engagement on Tuesday, 17th February 2026 aimed at improving access to finance and supporting private sector growth.
The meeting, hosted at the GAB Secretariat at North Ridge, Accra, saw the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Association of Banks – Mr. John Awuah together with senior management staff receive the President of the GNCCI (Mr. Stephane Miezan), its Chief Executive Officer (Mark Badu-Aboagye), executives of the Chamber and selected members of the business community. The engagement formed part of ongoing collaboration between the two leading industry bodies representing the financial services sector and the real economy respectively.
Focus on Access to Finance
Discussions centred on improving availability of funding to businesses at sustainable interest rates and ensuring that financial solutions better respond to the operational realities of Ghanaian enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises and manufacturers.
Participants also discussed sector-specific issues such as trade finance delays, advance payment constraints for importation of capital equipment, cash-back collateral requirements, foreign exchange access, and the need to design products including collateral-light or collateral-free lending options.
Support for Manufacturing and ESG Transition
The Chamber emphasized the need for banks to develop tailored financial desks and products for manufacturing firms, noting that high energy costs continue to weigh heavily on industry. Discussions further covered environmental, social and governance (ESG) financing opportunities, including energy-efficiency investments and carbon credit markets.
Proposals were also made to strengthened guarantee schemes using the Chamber as a coordinating platform and a guarantor for members. Some members of GNCCI also clamoured for clearer and tailored customer communication rather than generalized mass messaging.
Members additionally sought clarification on the role of development finance institutions, including how businesses can better access funding windows available through the Development Bank Ghana.
Banking Industry Response
The CEO of the Ghana Association of Banks, Mr. John Awuah noted to the concerns raised and provided detailed guidance on banking processes, credit assessment requirements and risk considerations. He explained practical steps businesses can take to improve bankability, documentation quality and responsiveness during loan processing.
He also noted that credit appraisal timelines are partly driven by regulatory prudential requirements and the need to safeguard depositors’ funds. He also acknowledged the need for greater efficiency and customer-centric processes across the industry. Mr. Awuah expressed his appreciation to the leadership of GNCCI and its members, for such a thoughtful engagement, and encouraged the chamber and by extension other business associations or stakeholders to continuously engage GAB on matters bordering on the banking industry and how their entreaties can be resolved.
Commitment to Continuous Engagement
Both GAB and GNCCI agreed to establish structured engagement channels, including technical working interactions and periodic consultations, to continuously address emerging challenges affecting businesses and financing.
The Ghana Association of Banks reiterated its commitment to partnering the private sector to promote sustainable economic growth, while the Chamber welcomed the openness of the banking industry to dialogue and reform.
Both institutions reaffirmed that closer cooperation between banks and businesses is essential for economic expansion, job creation and industrial development.
