Accra: The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) has revealed that high minimum capital requirements continue to hinder Ghana's competitiveness in the West African region. These requirements, ranging from US$200,000 to US$1 million based on the business type, have positioned Ghana as an outlier, discouraging potential investors when compared to other markets in the area.
According to Ghana Web, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at GIPC, George Asafo-Agyei, highlighted this issue during the Deloitte-UKGCC Investment Readiness Webinar. Asafo-Agyei explained that the existing capital requirement policies are a significant factor undermining the country's competitiveness. To address this, GIPC is working on eliminating these minimum equity requirements for most sectors, with a new bill in the works since 2017. Although initially expected to pass in 2024, the bill has been delayed due to the parliamentary session schedule.
Asafo-Agyei clarified that the proposed changes would not completely liberalize all sectors, as the trading sector is expected to maintain stringent entry requirements to safeguard local participation. The Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA) bill 2025 is set to replace the current GIPC Act, 2013 (Act 865), with the aim of modernizing investment laws.
Emmanuel Osei, Head of the Technology Transfer Agreement Department at GIPC, described the forthcoming GIPA bill 2025 as a significant advancement for enhancing Ghana's technology transfer framework. Osei noted that the bill is designed to establish a more efficient framework for regulating Technology Transfer Agreements (TTA) and promoting technology transfers in the country. Key reforms include collaborating with banks to ensure that only valid, registered TTAs are utilized for foreign exchange remittances.
The webinar, part of the UKGCC's Mandatory Regulatory Compliance Series, aligns with the UKGCC's mission to foster dialogue between the private sector and regulatory bodies. On March 26, 2026, parliament passed the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority bill, 2025, repealing the existing Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, 2013 (Act 865) and introducing significant changes in the investment landscape.