ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Determinants of non-performing loans and their effect on profitability and liquidity of universal banks in Ghana

This thesis explores the effects of bank-specific factors and macroeconomic factors on non-performing loans in Ghanaian commercial banks. The research is centered on a panel data review of 10 Ghanaian commercial banks for the period 2008 to 2019. Rigorous econometric techniques in the generalized method of moment (GMM) was employed in this thesis to establish the effects of bank specific factors and macroeconomic factors on non-performing loans (npls) and its effects on profitability and liquidity in the banking sector of Ghana. This study postulates that non-performing loans is dependent on many bank-specific and macroeconomic factors towards an initial estimate to the concept. These included bank growth, bank size, inflation and gross domestic product. Then npls was also hypothesized to have effects on bank liquidity and profitability. The results indicate that both bank-specific factors and macroeconomic factors impact negatively on npls. Besides, npls have a strong negative relationship with both profitability and liquidity. The outcome shows that profitability is greatly affected by non-performing loans. This suggests that the rise in npls reduces the profitability of banks in Ghana. Similarly, a rise in npls causes problems for banks in Ghana to create liquidity thereby impacting unfavorably on banks’ ability to have availability of cash to settle their obligations when they fall due. Ultimately, this thesis provides theoretical and practical implications for policy makers in the banking industry in the sense that the lower the npls, the higher banks profitability and liquidity. Again, the sensitivity of banks to changes both within the banking environment and the economy as a whole should be taken into deep consideration in whatever is done in the banking sector as these could impact on loan defaults thereby negatively affecting profitability and liquidity.

Source: KNUST
Determinants of Micro-insurance Subscription amongst Households in the Tamale Metropolis

In Ghana, the level of demand for microinsurance is low with about 1.6% patronage as against about 5% in Ivory Coast, 8%in Namibia, and 16% in South Africa (National Insurance Commission, 2008). The study generally examines the determinants of the household's subscription for microinsurance products in the Tamale metropolis. Specifically, the study investigates the level of awareness of microinsurance to households and the factors influencing household’s subscription to microinsurance. The study adopts a survey research design with a multistage sampling procedure to collect data on 399 households in the Tamale metropolis. The collected data were analyzed using Excel and descriptive statistics. The result showed that most households were aware of microinsurance and its products. It found out that households received information about microinsurance and its schemes mostly through microinsurance agents and family and friends respectively. The study also revealed, investment, savings mobilization, and risk aversion predominantly influence microinsurance scheme subscriptions positively. However, knowledge, trust, the process of claiming benefits were found to negatively affect household subscriptions to microinsurance schemes. Also, the study revealed that product accessibility and the narrowness of service coverage did not influence microinsurance demand. Therefore, the study recommends that microinsurance companies should increase and prioritize microinsurance education radio/ TV and internet advertisement. Also, training staffs most especially the company's agents in marketing and/or communication.

Source: KNUST
Determinants of modern contraceptive use among migrant female head porters in Asokore-Mampong Municipality.

Contraception is one of the four important proximate determinant factors of fertility identified by Bongaarts (1978). The role of contraceptive use in population reduction and reproductive health cannot be overemphasized. Over the years, Ghana has been promoting the use of contraceptives for more than thirty-five years, yet there has not been an appreciable and consistent increase in contraceptive use as compared to the efforts made (GSS, 2008). The extent of meeting the needs of vulnerable groups such as female head porters hasnot been extensively studied. The research therefore examined the determinants of modern contraceptive use among migrant female head porters in Asokore-Mampong Municipality. The aim of the study was to find out the knowledge, level of utilizationand socio-cultural factors that influence the use of modern contraceptives among the migrant female head porters. A case study design which is a qualitative approach was used. Twenty-four migrant female head porters between the ages of eighteen (18) years and thirty-five (35) years were interviewed and it was found that majority of the migrant female head porters knew at least three types of contraceptives which include the pill,the injectable and the implants but thisdoes not translate into use due to fear of side effects, myths about contraceptives, husband disapproval, social stigma, traditional values and religious beliefs. Therefore, there is the need for health care providers to educatethe public intensively about the side effects of family planning to erase these misconceptions and ensure increase in the use of contraceptives to help female head porters to live healthy and plan their families.

Source: KNUST
Determinants of non-performing loans in Banks in Ghana.

A considerably low level of Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) is ideal for bank operations in the long run. Loan advancing is one of the main functions of commercial banks in general and it is paramount for banks to have an appreciably high loan recovery rate to enhance subsequent lending to its customers. This study sought to examine the determinants of Non-Performing Loans of banks in Ghana. Employing bank specific data from 10 purposively sampled banks in Ghana and employing some macro level data for 8 years period (2007-2014), the study made use of panel random effect model to examine the determinants of NPLs. These data were collected gathered from the audited annual reports of banks for the ten banks whilst data on macroeconomic variables were gathered from the World Development Indicator (WDI) database. This research used explanatory research design that identifies the cause and effect relationships between the NPLs and its determinants. The results indicate bank specific and macroeconomic variables have impact on NPLs. Specifically, bank specific variables such as inflation significantly affect NPLs of banks in Ghana. commercial banks in Ghana. return on equity, return on asset, loan to deposit ratio and macroeconomic variables such as Also, the trend analysis of Non-Performing Loans in the selected banks were conducted for the period 2007 to 2014. The study shows a downward sloping of Non-Performing Loans for commercial banks in Ghana. The finding of this study is significant since once the determinants of NPLs are identified, would enable management body to make appropriate lending policies that prevent the occurrence of NPLs.

Source: KNUST
Determinants of non-performing loans in ghanaian banking sector; a study at rural banks in ghana.

The study's goal was to evaluate the factors that contribute to non-performing loans in Ghana's rural banks. As independent factors, interest rates, inflation, and loan growth were taken into consideration. The dependent variable chosen was a non-performing loan. 43 rural banks in Ghana made up the study's sample size, and SPSS was used to analyze the data. According to the study, the rate of inflation and non-performing loans from rural banks in Ghana are positively associated (0.316). The study also discovered a negative correlation between nonperforming loans and the real interest rate (-0.468) and loan growth rate (-0.013), respectively. With an adjusted R2 of 0.553, the study further revealed that the study factors collectively influenced the non-performing loans. Accordingly, 55.3 percent of the variation in the dependent variable in the regression model may be attributed to independent variables, whereas 44.7% is attributable to error terms, random chance, or other unexplained factors. There was additional significance in the F- Statistics of 23.409. As a result, the model was deemed reliable or well-fit to the variables' actual data. The analysis comes to the conclusion that the non-performing loans in Ghana's rural banks were jointly caused by the independent variables taken into account in the study. The study also discovered a significant correlation between non-performing loans and inflation. The study also comes to the conclusion that real interest rates and the growth rate of loans in Ghana's rural banks are negatively correlated with nonperforming loans. According to the study, the government must start taking steps to manage Ghana's real interest rate in order for the rural banks there to develop. Since interest rates are adversely correlated with the percentage of non-performing loans, lower rates would be more suited to lower the proportion of non-performing loans in Ghana. The study suggests that the government limit Ghana's inflation rate as there is some evidence to suggest that low inflation may improve loan performance in Ghana. The study further recommends that there is need for the rural banks to initiate policies that will control the amount of loans they have.

Source: KNUST
Determinants of non-performing loans: a case of selected rural banks in the ashanti, greater accra, western and eastern regions.

Non-performing is believed to be a major cause of several bank losses, which stimulate financial instability in the banking crisis. However, studies in this area focus on rural banks and leave the smaller banks such as the savings and loans and credit union. The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of non-performing loans of rural banks in Ghana. It further examines the effect of non-performing loans on the profitability of the banks. This study uses a sample size of 25 selected rural banks in Ghana observed from 2017 to 2021 using a panel regression estimation technique, fixed effect model with 125 firm year observations. Employing the fixed effect method, the evidence shows that bank profit, capital adequacy and bank size have a significant effect on non-performing loans, indicating that those variables are strong determinants of non-performing loans. The results further show that non-performing loans decrease bank financial performance. The study concludes that non-performing loans is a key contributor to poor performance in Rural banks. Based on these findings, the study recommends that Rural Banks must be empowered to adopt and comply with effective lending practices such as rigorous loan screening to avoid moral hazards and the selection of riskier applicants. Moreover, regulators must ensure the creation of a proper credit register to avoid adverse selection.

Source: KNUST
Determinants of non-performing loans of Commercial Banks listed on the Ghana stock Exchange

The study explored the determinants of Non Performing Loans in commercial banks in Ghana. Specifically, the objectives of the study were; to analyse the key determinants of nonperforming loans of the listed commercial banks; to ascertain the effect of nonperforming loans on the performance of the listed commercial banks and finally to examine the trend of total nonperforming loans of the listed bank in the past Ten (10) years. The total population of the study was the 28 commercial banks in Ghana. The research was based on cross-sectional observation method. It employed quantitative technique in analyzing its data set based on a casual relationship analysis. The study employed purposive sample where the seven banks listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange formed the study sample. Descriptive analyses and multiple regression analysis were used to measure the determinants and the impact nonperforming loans had on the commercial banks performance. The study established that of all the four microeconomic factors; bank size, management quality, asset quality and capital adequacy ratio all had a significant impact on Non Performing Loans at the understudied commercial banks since P<0.05. Equally the study found out that with the exception of Gross Domestic Product which had no significant statistical impact on Non Performing Loan (i.e. p> 0.05), the other two external variables thus, inflation and interest rate all had a significant impact on Non Performing Loans of these banks (i.e. p<0.05).

Source: KNUST
Determinants of postpartum family planning uptake among women in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

A high fertility rate leads to rapid population growth and hinders development. Over the past few decades, countries the world over have put in place policies to improve the health and well-being of their people by encouraging family planning uptake, especially in postpartum women. This is because though there has been an overall increase in family planning in developing countries, many women end up with unintended pregnancies before resumption of their first menses. In Sub-Saharan Africa, almost one- third of postpartum women are at risk of getting pregnant within 2 years of delivery as they are having sex without any form of contraception. Several factors have been proposed as being the reasons for the low uptake of family planning among women in the postpartum period. This cross-sectional study sought to determine the demographic, social and provider-related factors associated with postpartum family planning uptake among women within the Kumasi metropolis. A total of 550 women, in the reproductive age (up to1 year postpartum) were selected via multi-stage sampling, to participate in the study in five (5) private health facilities. Analysis of data obtained from 223 users and 327 non- users of postpartum family planning revealed an average postpartum family planning prevalence rate of 40.5%. Of the socio-demographic variables analyzed, age of women significantly influenced uptake at both the bi-variate and multivariate levels. Though there was a general awareness of family planning, women had inadequate information about return to fertility after delivery and the methods that could be adopted for postpartum use. In terms of service accessibility, variables such as location of family planning services (in relation to health facilities), means of transport to services, distance to services iii from place of residence, payment for the use of family planning services and the availability of contraceptive methods of a client's choice were shown to have some relationship with postpartum family planning uptake. The quality of family planning services had some relationship with postpartum uptake. Service delivery was generally good however, a third of users were uninformed about side-effects and a third were unwilling to return to service providers, Communicating with one's partner about family planning and receiving financial assistance from one's partner significantly influenced postpartum family planning uptake. Interventions should be directed at utilizing all missed opportunities to properly educate women about postpartum contraception and its benefits. Providers should be regularly updated on their level of information and motivated to give off their best in the provision of service. Policies should be formulated to increase male-involvement, as this will go a long way to improve patronage of family planning in women as soon as they deliver.

Source: KNUST
Determinants of performance of Comercial Banks in Ghana

Given the rapid development of financial markets, banks in Ghana are facing intense competition. Managers in the industry ought to know and understand variables that significantly influence the profitability of the bank. This is crucial considering the fact that banks’ profit may play a crucial role in the banks’ sustainability and the development of the economy in general. With this backdrop, this study sought to examine the determinants of commercial banks profitability and the extent to which they impact on performance. The empirical estimation is based on a panel regression analysis of the relationship between profit variables and expenses to income ratio, capital adequacy, liquidity measure, asset quality, income diversification ability, gross domestic product, money supply, size of the bank and inflation. The results suggest that expenses to income ratio, capital adequacy, asset quality, income diversification ability, money supply, and size of the bank influences the banks profit in the statistically significant manner. The outcome shows that income diversification and size of the bank have improved banks profit level whiles efficiency of expenditure, capital adequacy, asset quality and money supply had reduce the banks profit level. However, of the extent of influence, income diversification in a form of fees and commissions’ income has had a greatest impact i.e. contributing significantly to the profit of banks. One that has been reducing the banks profit level significantly is expenses to income ratio (expenses). The banks therefore should concentrate most on these variables as they want to maximize profit.

Source: KNUST
Determinants of petroleum prices in Ghana, 1985-2005

ABSTRACT Governments over the years have been spending huge sums of money to import crude oil to meet the increasing demand for petroleum products due to high demand for it and economic growth, population growth, urbanization and industrialization. However, the pricing of the products remains controversial in many developing countries including Ghana. Whereas some argued that regulatory petroleum pricing protects the interest, of the poor against excessive price hikes, others are of the view that this type of pricing deprives the government of getting enough revenue to increase investor confidence in the oil industry. The tenet of the argument is to allow retail petroleum prices respond to its key determinants. One major controversy surrounding retail petroleum pricing in Ghana is the consensus on the key price determinants. It is against this background that the objectives of the study were formulated to: establish the extent of relationship between retail petroleum pricing and its key determinants and analyze the socio-economic effects of petroleum deregulation in Ghana. Available literature has shown that there is a strong relationship between retail petroleum prices on one hand and its key determinants, thus crude oil price and exchange rate on the other hand. The petroleum Price Asymmetry Model by Borestain, Cameron and Gilbert (BCG), 1997 cointegration and error correction model have been adopted. The results indicated that retail petroleum prices in Ghana adjust prices slower. The deregulation according to most of the respondents is associated with the increase in petroleum prices and reduction in consumer welfare. The respondents rather preferred regulation of petroleum prices whiles the industry experts, mostly from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), Ministries, Departments and Agencies preferred deregulation. The study therefore, recommends that government should continue the policy of deregulation but rather make the system more transparent to enable the public understand the price adjustment process. This will avoid the frequent demonstrations against the petroleum price changes especially upward changes.

Source: KNUST
Determinants of places of delivery of expectant mothers in Adidwan in the Mampong Municipality of Ashanti Region

Places of child birth have direct impact on the mother and health of baby and post-natal period. The maternal casualties (institutional and non -institutional) recorded for the communities have given the cause for various concerns especially the places where the assistance has been given. Due to the poor han dling of delivery cases, in certain places, the risk of contracting neonatal tetanus is rife. Because of inadequate tetanus toxoid (TT) immunization and inappropriate postnatal cord care mainly due to the un -institutionalised care which largely compromise comprehensive service provision. The main object ive of the study is to determine the factors which inform the choice of place of delivery among expectant mothers. The study employed a descriptive cross -sectional study design as the main study approach which made use of multistage sampling method as method for its data collection. Out of the 500 samples, 26.0% delivered with TBA/Home and 74.0% delivered at the health facility. The home deliveries (130) and facility deliveries (370), they were mainly within the age group of 25 to 30 years representing 29.2% and 39.2% respectively. A substantial proportion of the married women prefer delivery with TBA/Home 105 (80.8%) while a similar proportion also deliver at the health facility 279 (75.4%), Both home and health facility had most clients having four or more deliveries representing 53.8% and 65.7% respectively. Test statistics indicated that there is no significant insurance and transport influence in determining a place of delivery among the mothers. It is thus established that Home/TBA contribution in the rural Asante Mampong is quite substantial. Whereas, numerous other births at home are not captured, the male involvement and public health education could be stepped up.

Source: KNUST