ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
While well-coordinated monetary and fiscal policies have supported these gains, our task is to assess the durability of these policies and calibrate policy to support growth while preserving credibility.
As members deliberate, four considerations are particularly relevant at this meeting.
First, the pace and sequencing of any policy adjustment.
Should easing proceed gradually, with pauses to reassess conditions, and how do we signal this clearly to markets?
Second, foreign exchange stability and expectations .
The cedi has been remarkably stable in 2025, reflecting improved confidence and a strong external position.
While recent pressures appear largely seasonal, expectations will now play a central role in sustaining stability.
Third, the role of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme in supporting stability remains critical.
While the programme has played an important and deliberate role in strengthening external buffers, members will need to consider how its timing, sustainability, and balance-sheet implications should inform the calibration of policy and the ongoing policies to build reserves.
Fourth, external scrutiny and data integrity .
The upcoming IMF review in April 2026 will be based on end -December 2025 data .
This Committee is therefore among the first t o rigorously assess the indicators central to programme performance; notably inflation, reserve accumulation, and adherence to zero central bank financing, including the transparent recognition of legacy and policy-mandated quasi-fiscal activities.
At its core, this meeting is not about whether conditions have improved , they clearly have.
It is about how we respond to that improvement , and how we ensure that decisions taken today remain robust under scrutiny tomorrow.
These are not mechanical choices.
They require judgment, balance, and a clear focus on our mandate.
I wish members well in their deliberations and look forward to the insights that will guide our policy decision.
PRIVATE NEWSPAPERS AND ONLINE NEWS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION OF GHANA (PRINPAG) TRAINING WORKSHOP ADDRESS BY DR.
JOHNSON PANDIT ASIAMA GOVERNOR, BANK OF GHANA DELIVERED ON HIS BEHALF BY DR.
FRANCIS YAO KUMAH ADVISOR TO THE GOVERNOR BANK OF GHANA PEACE HOLIDAY RESORT, SOLIKOPE, ADA 24 JANUARY 2026 The Minister for Government Communications, Honourable Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Distinguished Executives and Members of PRINPAG, Colleagues from the Bank of Ghana, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Good morning and thank you for the invitation to join you at this important workshop.
Let me extend my warm New Year greetings and appreciation for the critical work you do in our democracy.
Last week Friday, 16 January 2026 , at the Governor’s New Year Media Engagement, I reflected on the discipline and collective effort that characterised 2025.
I outlined how we embarked on a path of restoration by anchoring inflation expectations, stabilising the foreign exchange market, strengthening supervision in the banking sector, and modernising payments infrastructure.
I also underlined the principle that must guide our engagement with the media as follows: Our expectation is not compliance but responsibility — here, we underscore accuracy, balance, and appropriateness of the context.
Our commitment, in return, is openness, engagement, and respect for your constitutional role.
Today, I would like to build on that message and focus on the theme of this workshop: Resetting the Economy: The Role of Journalists, News Publishers and Media Owners.
Why ‘’Resetting’’ — and Why Now Ladies and Gentlemen, Ghana enters 2026 with a stronger foundation than a year ago.
As I noted last week, inflation declined steadily —from 23.8 percent in December 2024 to 5.4 percent in December 2025—and we saw improved order in the foreign exchange market.
Gross international reserves strengthened to over US$13.9 billion, equivalent to about 5.7 months of import cover.
We advanced institutional reforms, including the Bank of Ghana Amendments Bill , 2025, which has been passed into law, and made progress in payments and digital finance, alongside a more rules -based FX auction framework and stronger market oversight.
Our gold programme helped bolster external buffers and support confidence.
These gains were hard -won.
They reflect discipline, consistency and a deliberate focus on credibility.
But stability is not the destination — it is the launchpad.
Resetting the economy can be expressed in the following ways: a. Resetting Expectations — from short -termism to patience, from speculation to evidence, from quick fixes to durable solutions.
b. Resetting Institutions — embedding reforms so that stability becomes routine rather than episodic.
c. Resetting Behaviours — across markets, firms, households, and yes, the information ecosystem that shapes public understanding.
This is where your role as journalists, editors, publishers, and media owners is indispensable.
The Media as an Anchor of Confidence and Clarity Monetary and financial polic ies are often technical and sometimes counterintuitive.
The effects of our decisions are not always immediate, and the short -term path can be uncomfortable.
As I emphasised last week, economic information carries weight.
The way it is reported can influence expectations, confidence, and behaviour across the economy.
A responsible, independent, and well -informed media performs three vital functions in a period of reset.
It: ▪ Contextualises data and policy choices, helping citizens and markets understand trade-offs and timelines.
▪ Scrutinises institutions constructively, strengthening accountability and public trust.
▪ Stabilises expectations by countering misinformation and framing developments with accuracy and balance.
A steady information environment is an essential part of macroeconomic stability.
Consolidation in 2026: What the Bank Will Do Last week, I shed some light on the Bank’s strategic choices for this year.
2026 is about consolidation and discipline — quality over quantity, strong institutions, disciplined markets, and policies that endure.
Let me highlight four of these areas, which I believe are important to your work: ▪ First, Foreign Exchange and Money Markets: We will deepen recent reforms to support orderly price discovery, disciplined market conduct, and improved confidence.
Oversight, reporting mechanisms, and enforcement will remain firm to curb market abuse and support transparent pricing.
▪ Second, Payments and Digital Finance: As the payment system usage expands, we will keep our focus on resilience and safeguards, consumer protection, sound governance, and system reliability.
Innovation must proceed within clear regulatory boundaries, ensuring trust in the ecosystem.
▪ Third, Supervision and Market Conduct: Our supervisory posture will be preventive, with greater emphasis on governance quality, capital and liquidity planning, and early risk identification.
This is how we protect stability before vulnerabilities escalate.
▪ And fourth, Policy Communication: We will continue to provide clear signalling, consistent liquidity management and evidence -based communication.
Predictability and credibility — not surprises —will anchor our approach.
The Role of Journalists, Publishers, Media Owners in the Reset Ladies and Gentlemen, To reset the economy is to reset the narrative towards discipline, responsibility and shared purpose.
Your leadership is crucial in four areas: • Economic Literacy and Public Understanding: Your emphasis should be on breaking down the inflation dynamics, interest rate paths, FX market norms, and payments innovations into accessible and easy-to-understand stories.
When citizens understand the rationale behind policy, they engage with confidence rather than fear.
• Integrity of the Information Ecosystem: Incomplete or de -contextualised reporting can amplify uncertainty, especially in FX markets.
Establish internal verification checks for market- sensitive stories by prioritising official data sources and resisting the velocity of rumours.
When in doubt, utilise the Bank’s official channels to verify information before publication.
• Constructive Accountability: Scrutiny is healthy when it is evidence -based and fair.
Ask tough questions, examine outcomes, but also ensure to differentiate signal from noise, and short-term volatility from long-term direction.
• Championing Rules and Responsible Innovation: Support the rules -based approach in financial markets and payments.
Spotlight good governance and consumer protection.
Celebrate innovation within guardrails.
This helps align incentives across the system.
A New Partnership for a New Phase Last week, I announced our intention to deepen collaboration with the media.
I am pleased to reaffirm and expand those commitments here, to this distinguished gathering of newspaper and online publishers.
Expanded Media Training Programmes: We will scale up specialised training for journalists and editors on monetary policy, FX market operations, payments oversight, and financial stability.
These sessions will blend practical case studies with data interpretation and ethics in market-sensitive reporting.
Dedicated Forum for Editors, Producers, Presenters, and Newsroom Leaders: We will institute a regular Editors’ & Producers ’ Forum to discuss upcoming data releases, policy cycles, and emerging risks, ensuring that gatekeepers both visible and behind the scenes have the context needed to guide coverage.
Governor’s “Economic and Financial Story of the Year’’ Award: To encourage accuracy, insight, and creativity in economic reporting across print and digital platforms, we are launching an annual award.
The prize will see the winning journalist sponsored to attend the IMF/World Bank Meetings —a unique opportunity to gai n global perspective and deepen professional networks.
The criteria will be accuracy, depth of analysis, originality, public impact and clarity of explanation.
Proactive Engagement: Our Communications team will maintain open lines of support for your newsrooms — timely clarifications, background briefings, and access to authoritative data and subject -matter experts.
Our shared aim is that every story about the Bank of Ghana is well -sourced and confidently delivered.
These initiatives reflect a simple conviction: when the media succeeds, the public understands and when the public understands, the economy functions better.
Conclusion: Reset with Purpose Ladies and Gentlemen, Resetting the economy is not the work of one institution.
It requires policy consistency, market discipline, and an informed public.
You stand at the intersection of policy and public understanding.
You help citizens make sense of change.
You help markets interpret signals.
You help anchor expectations.
The Bank of Ghana will stay measured and forward -looking; we will consolidate reforms in FX and money markets; we will safeguard innovation in payments and digital finance; and we will transition strategic programmes to sustainable arrangements.
Above all, we will communicate with clarity and respect your constitutional role.
Let us, together, reset expectations, reinforce institutions, and reshape behaviours —so that the gains of stability become the habits of a confident, prosperous economy.
Thank you for your partnership, Thank you for your dedication to responsible journalism, And thank you for your service to our Republic.
IFC-ACCESS BANK GHANA AGREEMENT SIGNING CEREMONY THE RISK SHARING GUARANTEE SCHEME BETWEEN ACCESS BANK GHANA PLC AND THE IFC REMARKS BY MRS.
MATILDA ASANTE-ASIEDU SECOND DEPUTY GOVERNOR BANK OF GHANA The Division Director for West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea, for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), The Board, Managing Director, Management and Staff of Access Bank Ghana Plc, Directors from the Bank of Ghana, Distinguished Guests, Members of the Media, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I am delighted to join you today, not only to witness this momentous signing ceremony, but also to reconnect with many familiar faces in an institution where I spent more than a decade and half of my professional life.
The Risk Sharing Guarantee Scheme between Access Bank Ghana Plc and the International Finance Corporation represents a strategic partnership to unlock growth and opportunity within Ghana’s agricultural sector.
As I see it, this scheme is designed not only to harness opportunities along the cocoa value chain, but also to align closely with our national priorities of expanding financial inclusion, strengthening private sector participation, and accelerating economic diversification.
This scheme is strategically designed to provide essential working capital to Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs)—the backbone of Ghana’s domestic cocoa purchasing system.
Given their critical role in linking smallholder farmers to global markets, ensuring their liquidity is not merely a commercial objective, it is a national economic priority.
Their stability safeguards rural livelihoods, strengthens export earnings, and supports exchange rate resilience.
Permit me, Ladies and Gentlemen, to extend my heartfelt congratulations to both IFC and Access Bank Ghana Plc on this milestone.
The IFC has consistently demonstrated strong commitment to Ghana’s economic transformation through impactful investments, partnerships, and development finance.
This latest collaboration in the cocoa sector further reinforces its dedication to Ghana’s long-term economic resilience and prosperity.
The Ghanaian economy is at a pivotal stage—stronger and more resilient than it has been in recent years.
Through prudent monetary policy implementation and disciplined fiscal management, we have restored macroeconomic stability, strengthened confidence, supported GDP growth, and brought inflation back to single-digit levels.
This improved and predictable macroeconomic environment provides a strong foundation for banks to recalibrate their business models and expand financing to the real and productive sectors, particularly agriculture—a sector that is central to job creation, improved livelihoods, export growth, and national development.
I believe it is also fitting to commend the Management and Staff of Access Bank Ghana Plc for their consistent growth, and meaningful contribution to Ghana’s banking sector.
As at end- December 2025, the Bank recorded total assets of GHS 19.47 billion, representing 4.36 percent of industry assets.
Its ability to mobilise GHS 14.27 billion in deposits reflects strong market confidence, customer loyalty, and institutional credibility.
Beyond balance sheet expansion, Access Bank delivered strong profitability in 2025, achieving a Return on Assets of 3.75 percent and a Return on Equity of 21.58 percent.
Equally notable is its Non-Performing Loans ratio of 3.82 percent, underscoring disciplined credit underwriting and robust risk management practices.
These strengths position Access Bank as a credible and dependable conduit for development finance, particularly in partnerships with reputable international institutions such as the IFC.
The signing ceremony we witness today marks a significant advancement in financing Ghana’s cocoa supply value chain.
Through the provision of a credit guarantee, the IFC is lowering barriers to finance, enabling safer and more scalable lending to key actors who sustain Ghana’s export economy.
As we look ahead to the future of sustainable finance in Ghana, I would also encourage the IFC to explore opportunities for the issuance of green bonds in our domestic capital market.
Making these instruments accessible to local banks would further embed sustainable finance within our financial system and unlock critical funding for climate-aligned and environmentally responsible projects nationwide.
On behalf of the Bank of Ghana, I once again commend Access Bank and the IFC for achieving this important milestone.
This partnership exemplifies how strategic credit guarantees can de-risk agriculture, crowd in private capital, and advance national development objectives.
We encourage the Management of Access Bank to deploy this facility efficiently, responsibly, and impactfully, ensuring that Ghana’s cocoa value chain remains competitive, resilient, and inclusive.
LAUNCH OF THE NATIONAL VIRTUAL ASSET LITERACY INITIATIVE (NaV ALI) SPEECH BY DR.
JOHNSON PANDIT ASIAMA GOVERNOR, BANK OF GHANA BANK SQUARE | JANUARY 23, 2026 First and Second Deputy Governors Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Representatives of Ministries, Departments, and Other State Agencies Heads of Department present Captains of Industry Knowledge Partners of the National Virtual Asset Literacy Initiative (NaV ALI) Distinguished Guests Ladies and Gentlemen It is my honour to welcome you to the launch of the National Virtual Asset Literacy Initiative (code-named, NaV ALI) – a landmark programme that signals Ghana’s deliberate, responsible, and forward-looking approach to the regulation and use of virtual assets.
The recent enactment of the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s financial sector development.
The Bank of Ghana and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the regulators designated under the Act, are currently focused on establishing the requisite structures, systems, and processes to ensure its timely and orderly operationalisation to address regulatory gaps and risks.
At the Bank of Ghana, we acknowledge that effective regulation and enforcement cannot be achieved by regulators alone.
The entire ecosystem must be adequately prepared through a sound understanding of virtual asset activities, their implications, and assoc iated risks.
This imperative underscores an urgent need for public education, consumer protection, and regulatory preparedness.
NaV ALI has been designed precisely to meet this need.
NaV ALI is anchored on a simple but important principle: understand before you undertake – positioning virtual asset literacy as the foundation for a safe digital economy.
Policy Objectives and Institutional Collaboration NaV ALI is a carefully designed initiative led by the Bank of Ghana, in collaboration with the Securities and Exchange Commission and key knowledge partners from academia and industry.
It is guided by two key policy objectives: • first, to strengthen institutional capacity on virtual assets and enabling technologies, particularly blockchain, to support effective regulation, supervision, and policy formulation; and • second, to promote nationwide awareness of the risks and implications of virtual assets, to discourage uninformed usage and risky adoption.
Formal Launch of NaV ALI Ladies and Gentlemen, It is against this backdrop that we take a decisive step forward today.
On behalf of the Bank of Ghana, and in collaboration with our partner institutions, I hereby formally launch the National Virtual Asset Literacy Initiative (NaV ALI).
Acknowledgements and Call for Collaboration I wish to commend the Virtual Asset Regulatory Office, our partner institutions, and all stakeholders who contributed to the development of this initiative.
Your collaboration underscores the shared responsibility required to build a resilient and well -informed virtual asset ecosystem in Ghana.
Successful implementation will require sustained collaboration between regulators, industry players, educators, civil society, and the media.
Conclusion and Call to the Public To the Ghanaian public, I say this: participate, learn, ask questions, and engage responsibly.
Financial innovation can only serve national development when it is anchored in knowledge, trust, and accountability.
In closing, the launch of NaV ALI is not an end, but a beginning.
It is the foundation upon which effective regulation, consumer protection, and sustainable innovation in virtual assets will be built.
I thank you for your attention and look forward to our collective efforts in shaping a secure and inclusive digital financial future for Ghana.
Thank you and may God bless our homeland Ghana.
GOVERNOR’S NEW YEAR MEDIA ENGAGEMENT REPORTING ON BOG OPERATIONS AND THE IMPACT ON THE MARKETS REMARKS BY DR.
ZAKARI MUMUNI FIRST DEPUTY GOVERNOR, BANK OF GHANA THE BANK SQUARE, ACCRA 16 JANUARY 2026 The Governor, Second Deputy Governor, Advisors, Directors and Staff of the Bank of Ghana, Heads of Media Organisations, senior broadcast journalists, Members of the Bank of Ghana Press Corps, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon.
“Central banking is built on trust, and trust is built on communication.”
That simple truth captures why today’s engagement matters.
There was a time when central banks spoke sparingly, if at all.
Decisions were made behind closed doors, and the public encountered policy only through its effects.
That world no longer exists.
In today’s economy, communication is policy.
Words shape expec tations.
Expectations shape behaviour.
And behaviour, in turn, moves markets.
In this environment, the media is not merely an observer of economic events .
You are a transmitter of confidence, a shaper of sentiment, and, often unknowingly, a participant in market dynamics.
How the actions of the Bank of Ghana are reported, how they are explained, framed, and contextualised, has real consequences for households, businesses, and investors.
This afternoon, I want to speak about media reportage on the Bank of Ghana’s operations and its impact on the market , and why accuracy, balance, and context matter, not for the B ank of Ghana, but for the country.
Policy Environment: Why Context Matters To understand the Bank’s recent actions, we must recall the environment in which they were taken.
The economy was emerging from a period of profound stress.
Inflation had become entrenched.
Confidence had weakened.
Market signals were distorted.
For many households, prices felt unpredictable.
For businesses, planning became difficult.
Expectations, the invisible force that shapes economic decisions, were fragile.
In such conditions, central banking becomes more than technical adjustment.
It becomes an exercise in rebuilding trust.
That trust is rebuilt slowly, through consistency, discipline, and communication that is honest, even when the message is uncomfortable.
Throughout this period, the Bank remained anchored to its mandate: price stability, financial stability, and orderly markets.
These are not abstract goals.
They determine whether wages hold value, whether savings are protected, and whether businesses can plan with confidence.
Understanding the Central Bank’s Unique Role Central banks occupy a unique place in national life.
We are public institutions, acting on behalf of citizens, yet operationally independent and insulated from short -term political pressures.
We regulate banks, manage the national currency, provide banking services to government, and serve as custodians of financial stability.
Because of this role, how our actions are interpreted and reported matters profoundly.
Sensationalism can amplify anxiety.
Incomplete context can distort understanding.
But responsible reporting can stabilise expectations and strengthen confidence.
This is not about silencing criticism.
It is about recognising that in macroeconomics, perception often precedes reality.
Media Reporting and Market Behaviour Nowhere is this more evident than in the foreign exchange market.
Daily movements, small appreciations or depreciations, are normal.
They reflect trading, not crisis.
Yet when such movements are reported without context, they can trigger fear-driven behaviour.
People rush to protect value.
Demand surges unnecessarily.
V olatility increases.
And confidence in the currency weakens, not because fundamentals have changed, but because sentiment has.
In this sense, reporting itself becomes a market signal.
But when reporting is measured and contextual, the opposite happens.
Calm is reinforced.
Rational behaviour prevails.
Markets function more efficiently.
Currency Stability as a Shared National Gain Let me emphasise this clearly: currency stability is not an abstract macroeconomic achievement.
When the cedi stabilises, import prices ease.
Transport costs moderate.
School fees, rent, medicines, and food become more predictable.
Businesses can price their products with confidence.
Investors can plan.
Workers like all of us can save without fear that our earnings will lose value overnight.