Ghana’s legal and regulatory environment remains broadly stable but is undergoing a period of transition that is reshaping how businesses engage with the state, according to a Q1 2026 risk assessment by Sompa & Partners.
The report rates legal and regulatory risks of doing business in Ghana as MODERATE, scoring 18 out of 125, reflecting what it describes as a system that is not under stress, but is actively being reconfigured across key regulatory areas.
At the centre of this shift is the Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Act, signed in December 2025. The law formally brings digital assets under regulatory oversight for the first time, introducing licensing requirements for fintech firms, payment processors and crypto-related businesses. The rollout is being phased through 2026, meaning firms are operating in a transition period where rules are still being operationalised.
The report says this creates a regulatory environment that is clear in direction but still uncertain in execution.
A similar dynamic is emerging in trade administration. The Ghana Revenue Authority’s new AI-based customs valuation system, TRUEDARE, is under parliamentary scrutiny, with importers raising concerns over how duties will be assessed in practice. While the system is designed to improve efficiency and transparency, the report notes that “implementation uncertainty” remains a key short-term risk for cross-border businesses.
Judicial developments also feature in the risk profile. The report points to ongoing concerns around judicial independence following changes in the leadership of the judiciary, which it says continues to affect confidence in commercial dispute resolution and contract enforcement.
Land governance remains one of the most persistent structural challenges. Fragmented customary ownership systems, documentation gaps, and recurring disputes over land transactions continue to create legal exposure for investors, particularly in real estate, agriculture and extractive sectors.
Mining and environmental regulation is tightening under the Environmental Protection Act 2025, introducing new compliance requirements for land-intensive operations and increasing the regulatory burden on extractive industries.
Taken together, the report suggests that Ghana’s legal and regulatory risk is not driven by instability or breakdown, but by a state of continuous adjustment.
“Regulatory change in Ghana is slow-moving, but transition periods create short-term uncertainty for businesses,” the report said.
What this means in practice is that businesses are not operating in an unpredictable legal environment, but in one where rules are being updated faster than enforcement systems and market practices can fully adapt.
The report forms part of a broader national risk assessment covering seven dimensions of Ghana’s business environment in 2026.
