The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, has stressed that meaningful reforms to Ghana’s business environment are critical for economic recovery and essential to attracting greater American investment.
Speaking in an interview on the Point of View on Channel 1 TV, Ambassador Palmer welcomed recent policy commitments from President John Dramani Mahama, noting that his prioritization of business climate reforms signals a positive step forward.
“I’ve been discussing this with the government of Ghana throughout my tenure, and I’m very pleased to see President Mahama make it his number one priority,” she said.
She highlighted on President Mahama emphasizing in his inaugural address that improving the business climate is key to Ghana’s economic revival.
Ambassador Palmer identified several structural issues that must be addressed, including the performance of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), limited access to credit, weak contract enforcement, and persistent delays in government payments.
“These are real obstacles that affect both Ghanaian and American businesses, fixing them would make Ghana a much more attractive destination for investment,” she said.
The ambassador also underscored the importance of timely payments to small businesses, warning that many cannot survive under current conditions.
“If Ghanaian SMEs are paid on time, they will thrive. If not, they won’t survive,” she added.
