Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. John Asiama, has called on business leaders and financial sector players to support efforts toward building a financial system that is inclusive, resilient and aligned with Ghana’s long-term sustainable economic transformation.
Delivering a speech on his behalf at the ACCA Business Leaders’ Forum in Accra, Professor John Gatsi, Technical Advisor to the Governor, said Ghana’s financial system had recorded significant gains through strengthened regulation, digital innovation and enhanced supervisory frameworks.
However, he noted that evolving global and domestic developments showed that maintaining stability required continuous adaptation.
The forum, organised by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) under the theme “Sustainability and Non-Interest Banking in Ghana,” explored how emerging financial models can support inclusive growth and long-term resilience.
Dr. Asiama said the theme was timely, as pressures from global shocks, climate risks and rapid technological change demanded a financial architecture that remained efficient, ethical and responsive to the needs of households, businesses and investors.
He emphasised that non-interest banking provided a complementary model to traditional finance by promoting shared risk, transparency and value-based investment.
He explained that non-interest banking had the potential to widen participation in the financial sector by offering diversified, asset-backed products and expanding inclusion for groups historically excluded for cultural or religious reasons.
The Governor noted that financial stability and economic development were mutually reinforcing. Stable institutions, he said, enhance confidence for savings and investment, while economic expansion strengthens the broader financial system.
Dr. Asiama highlighted the Bank of Ghana’s ongoing work to create a secular, market-neutral regulatory framework that would support both conventional banks and fully fledged non-interest banks.
This includes close collaboration with other regulators and investments in capacity building to prepare the industry for the transition.
Touching on sustainability, he warned that climate and environmental risks pose growing threats to banks’ loan portfolios and long-term stability.
In response, the Central Bank has introduced the Sustainable Banking Principles and a Climate-Related Financial Risk Directive to guide institutions in identifying, assessing and managing environmental risks.
He said aligning non-interest banking with Ghana’s sustainable finance agenda would help build a financial sector that is stable, ethical and transformative, and urged regulators, policymakers and business leaders to demonstrate collective commitment.
Mr. Jamil Ampomah, ACCA’s Africa Director, said Ghana’s planned rollout of a national non-interest banking framework in 2026 presents a pivotal opportunity to reshape the country’s financial landscape through fairness, partnership and value-driven finance.
He commended the BoG for the leadership that had positioned the sector for implementation.
He noted that ACCA’s long-standing work on Islamic and non-interest finance, spanning more than two decades had equipped the organisation with the expertise to support Ghana during the transition.
ACCA has integrated non-interest financial principles, including asset-backed products and profit-and-loss sharing, into professional training to ensure practitioners are adequately prepared.
Mr. Ampomah said Ghana could leverage non-interest banking to strengthen financing for manufacturing, agriculture, SMEs, youth-led enterprises and climate-related investments through risk-sharing mechanisms.
He said ACCA stood ready to support the rollout with training programmes, supervisory templates, disclosure guidelines and market education ahead of the 2026 implementation.
He described the forthcoming transition as “more than a regulatory milestone,” noting that it represented an opportunity to build a banking future that is fair, ethical and sustainable.
