Ghana is taking decisive steps to strengthen its place in Africa’s growing digital economy, as the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) unveiled major reforms aimed at transforming the country into a leading digital finance hub on the continent.
The announcements were made during the 3i Africa Summit, where policymakers and financial industry leaders outlined plans to improve instant payment systems, regulate virtual assets, and tighten controls within the fintech lending space.
Delivering closing remarks at the summit, the First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Zakari Mumuni, stressed that Africa’s next financial breakthrough will depend on how effectively countries connect their payment systems across borders.
According to him, many African countries have already built successful mobile money and digital payment platforms, but the lack of integration between national systems continues to slow down the continent’s digital trade ambitions.
Dr. Mumuni explained that the challenge facing Africa is no longer about creating new financial innovations, but rather scaling existing systems to work seamlessly together. He noted that harmonized standards and interconnected payment infrastructure would make it easier for money to move freely across African borders.
He cautioned that without deliberate collaboration among African nations, the dream of a unified digital market could remain unattainable. He further urged leaders and regulators to focus on building interconnected systems instead of isolated financial structures.
Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission has moved to formalize Ghana’s virtual asset industry with the introduction of a regulatory sandbox framework for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).
The SEC said the initiative, established under the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 (Act 1154), will allow companies operating in the virtual asset space to test innovative products and services under regulatory supervision for a period of 12 months.
The Commission explained that the sandbox arrangement is intended to promote responsible innovation while ensuring investor protection and maintaining market integrity. Companies that successfully meet the regulatory requirements during the testing phase may eventually receive full operational licenses.
In another significant move, the Bank of Ghana also announced plans to strengthen credit risk management within the fintech sector through mandatory data sharing among financial technology companies.
The central bank believes the initiative will help reduce the activities of habitual loan defaulters and lower lending risks by incorporating fintech borrowing data into Ghana’s credit reporting system.
Dr. Mumuni emphasized the importance of building financial systems that not only expand access to credit but also promote responsible borrowing and lending practices.
Participants at the summit agreed that Africa’s digital finance sector has reached a stage where action and implementation must now take precedence over experimentation and pilot projects.
Closing the summit, Dr. Mumuni urged stakeholders to move beyond discussions and commit to practical execution, insisting that the real success of the 3i Africa Summit would be determined by the concrete actions taken after the event.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com