The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Access Bank Ghana Plc have signed a Risk Sharing Guarantee Scheme aimed at expanding access to finance along Ghana’s cocoa value chain, with a focus on supporting Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs).
The agreement, signed in Accra, is to unlock working capital for LBCs, strengthen domestic cocoa purchasing operations, and improve liquidity for actors who link smallholder farmers to international markets, according to remarks delivered at the ceremony .
Mrs. Matilda Asante-Asiedu, Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, said the scheme aligned with national priorities of deepening financial inclusion, strengthening private sector participation, and accelerating economic diversification.
She described LBCs as the backbone of Ghana’s cocoa purchasing system, noting that their stability was not only a commercial issue but a national economic priority, given cocoa’s role in rural livelihoods, export earnings and foreign exchange resilience.
“The provision of essential working capital to LBCs safeguards livelihoods, strengthens export performance and supports exchange rate stability,” Mrs. Asante-Asiedu said.
She commended the IFC for its continued commitment to Ghana’s economic transformation through development finance, partnerships and targeted investments, adding that the cocoa-focused collaboration reinforced the institution’s long-term support for the country’s resilience and prosperity.
The Second Deputy Governor said the signing took place at a time when Ghana’s economy had become stronger and more resilient, citing improved macroeconomic stability driven by prudent monetary policy and disciplined fiscal management.
According to her, the restoration of confidence, support for GDP growth and a return to single-digit inflation had created a more predictable environment for banks to expand credit to productive sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture.
She said agriculture remained central to job creation, improved livelihoods, export growth and national development, and called on financial institutions to recalibrate their business models to better serve the sector.
Mrs. Asante-Asiedu also praised Access Bank Ghana for its performance and growing contribution to the banking industry.
As at the end of December 2025, the bank recorded total assets of GH¢19.47 billion, representing 4.36 percent of industry assets, while deposits stood at GH¢14.27 billion.
She said the figures reflected strong market confidence, customer loyalty and institutional credibility.
On profitability, she noted that Access Bank achieved a Return on Assets of 3.75 percent and a Return on Equity of 21.58 percent in 2025, supported by disciplined credit underwriting and robust risk management, as evidenced by a Non-Performing Loans ratio of 3.82 percent.
“These strengths position Access Bank as a credible conduit for development finance, particularly in partnerships with reputable international institutions such as the IFC,” she said.
Mrs. Asante-Asiedu said the risk-sharing guarantee would lower barriers to finance by de-risking lending to key players in the cocoa supply chain, enabling safer and more scalable credit to support Ghana’s export economy.
Looking ahead, she encouraged the IFC to explore opportunities for issuing green bonds on Ghana’s domestic capital market to further embed sustainable finance within the financial system and mobilise funding for climate-aligned and environmentally responsible projects.
On behalf of the Bank of Ghana, she urged Access Bank to deploy the facility efficiently and responsibly to ensure the cocoa value chain remained competitive, resilient and inclusive.
She said the partnership demonstrated how strategic credit guarantees could crowd in private capital, de-risk agriculture and advance national development objectives.
