Ghana Investment Promotion Authority Act

On 26 March 2026, Parliament passed the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority Act, 2026 (“GIPA”). The GIPA establishes the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority with expanded promotional and regulatory functions, including operating as a one-stop shop for investors and introducing an investor grievance mechanism. The GIPA introduces several key changes, including revised minimum capital requirements, most notably a USD 500,000 cash requirement for trading companies, updates to activities reserved for Ghanaians, a new expatriate quota regime, and provisions on citizenship through investment.

 

The GIPA also reforms to the Technology Transfer Agreement (“TTA”) framework. It reduces the minimum duration of TTAs from 18 months to 12 months and revises the renewal structure. Under the new regime, the initial term of a registered TTA will be five years, renewable for further five-year terms. Further, fees and charges relating to unregistered TTAs are not deductible for tax purposes.

 

 

Labour

The Labour Bill is expected to be presented to Parliament, with proposed changes to enhance employee protections, modernise working conditions, and reform statutory leave frameworks. The Ghanaian labour market continues to evolve, as more companies move towards flexible work arrangements and expand the use of flexible workspace facilities to accommodate remote working.

 

Employers are also increasingly adopting third-party outsourcing arrangements to manage workforce needs, thereby reallocating employment-related responsibilities. These developments point to the need for a labour law that reflects the evolving Ghanaian labour market and its changing needs.

 

In addition, the enactment of the 24-Hour Economy Authority Act, 2026 (Act 1164) is expected to play a central role in job creation. The Authority’s functions include supporting and facilitating job creation, within a broader policy aimed at enabling continuous business operations beyond traditional working hours. This is likely to increase demand for shift-based roles across key sectors, including manufacturing, and encourage businesses to participate in the 24-hour economy policy and benefit from any incentives established by the Authority.

 

 

Digital Assets

The VASP Act establishes a regulatory sandbox regime, allowing specified VASPs to operate under a temporary sandbox licence with tailored requirements and regulatory oversight. The Securities and Exchange Commission has introduced a sandbox initiative enabling 11 firms to test new virtual asset products and services in a controlled environment. The initiative includes defined restrictions, such as limits on client numbers or transaction values as well as enhanced monitoring and disclosure requirements. Insights from this programme are expected to inform the development and finalisation of activity-based licensing guidelines, following which the broader market is likely to be opened for VASP licensing and registration. We expect regulators to issue detailed operational guidelines, providing further regulatory clarity.

 

 

Agriculture and Agribusiness

We expect 2026 to be a significant year for agriculture and agribusiness in Ghana, driven by renewed government focus on improving local production and reducing import dependency. Ongoing government initiatives are expected to support domestic production across key value chains, including poultry, rice, maize, and tomatoes. These efforts are likely to be reinforced by a broader policy direction that aims to boost local value addition, enhance food security, and reduce reliance on imports. At the same time, recent challenges, such as surplus production in certain sectors and disruptions to regional trade, including restrictions on cross-border imports, are expected to prompt a stronger policy shift towards improving storage, processing, and market access for locally produced goods. Overall, we anticipate increased investment in agriculture, greater emphasis on value chain development, and a more coordinated approach to addressing structural inefficiencies in the sector.

 

The cocoa sector is expected to undergo significant reforms in 2026, aimed at guaranteeing fair prices for farmers and ensuring the industry's long-term sustainability. Key changes include the introduction of an automatic producer price adjustment mechanism, which will align farmgate prices with movements in world market prices and exchange rates, while ensuring that cocoa farmers receive at least 70% of the gross FOB price. The government has also introduced a new financing model based on domestic Cocoa Bonds, reducing reliance on external syndicated loans. There is also a renewed emphasis on local value addition, with at least 50% of Ghana’s cocoa beans to be processed locally from the 2026/27 crop season. These reforms, together with measures to restructure COCOBOD’s balance sheet and improve operational efficiency, signal a shift towards a more sustainable and domestically oriented cocoa sector.

 

 

Data Privacy

We expect data protection and privacy to remain a key area of focus in 2026, driven by the growing volume of personal data collected and processed across sectors. Developments such as the expansion of digital financial services, the Government’s promotion of emerging technologies that rely on personal data, and large-scale data collection initiatives such as SIM card registration continue to increase the amount of personal data in circulation. At the same time, rising incidents of data misuse, including fraud involving card details, as well as increasing public awareness of data privacy rights, are expected to heighten scrutiny of how personal data is collected, used, and protected. These trends are likely to drive sustained demand for a more modern and comprehensive data protection framework. Overall, we anticipate increased regulatory attention, stronger enforcement, and greater accountability for organisations handling personal data, alongside a shift towards more privacy-conscious practices among both businesses and individuals.

 

There is a growing effort by the Government, as part of its policy objectives and in a bid to boost trade and tourism, to pursue visa-free arrangements with other countries. In the first quarter of 2026, the Government signed visa waiver agreements with Saint Kitts and Nevis and Kyrgyzstan, with more anticipated over the course of the year. The Government has also announced that, effective 25 May 2026, Ghana will implement a free visa regime for all African citizens, allowing travellers from any African country to obtain e-visas online at no cost.

 

On 25 May 2026, Ghana launched its e-visa portal. The platform is intended to streamline visa processing through a secure digital system, enhance border security and operational efficiency, and facilitate travel, tourism, trade, and investment by making entry into Ghana more accessible for foreign nationals. The introduction of the platform may also support the implementation of reciprocal electronic travel arrangements with other countries.

 

Technology

We expect 2026 to be a pivotal year for technology regulation and digital policy in Ghana, as several proposed bills currently under stakeholder consultation progress toward enactment. The Government has now launched a National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, which provides a roadmap for the responsible, human-centred development and use of AI across key sectors. The strategy focuses on promoting AI adoption and establishing ethical and regulatory frameworks, including principles on data governance and algorithmic transparency. It also emphasises the development of locally relevant and culturally aligned AI systems. Collectively, these developments signal a shift from policy development to implementation, with clearer rules for emerging technologies

 

We expect continued evolution of Ghana’s financial services regulatory landscape in 2026. The implementation of the Open Banking Directives is anticipated to drive innovation in financial technology, with more fintech companies seeking to leverage open banking infrastructure. The Bank of Ghana is expected to issue further guidance on digital lending, mobile money interoperability, and consumer protection in digital financial services. Additionally, with the growth of digital payment platforms and the expansion of financial inclusion initiatives, regulatory attention to operational resilience and cybersecurity in the financial sector is expected to intensify.

 

 

Competition and Anti-Trust Regulation

Ghana is continuing efforts towards the adoption of a national competition and consumer protection framework. The Ministry for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry has indicated that the proposed framework forms part of Ghana’s broader trade agenda, which seeks to enhance competitiveness and ensure that businesses and consumers benefit from fair market practices. ECOWAS member countries are required to adopt competition legislation and establish independent national competition authorities. In September 2025, the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (“ERCA”), which is responsible for enforcing Community Competition Rules within ECOWAS, pledged its full support for the implementation of competition and consumer protection legislation in Ghana.

 

ERCA has authority to review commercial activities in the community market, investigate anti-competitive practices, control mergers and acquisitions, and sanction violations of competition rules.  Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry sits on the Consultative Competition Committee, which reviews and implements ECOWAS competition rules. There is some uncertainty on the application of ERCA competition rules in Ghana due to the lack of parliamentary ratification of the ERCA protocols. We expect the Government to resolve this uncertainty and seek parliamentary ratification of the ERCA protocols.

 

At the continental level, a survey conducted by the AfCFTA Secretariat and the OECD revealed that 76.2% of African jurisdictions have a competition law framework in place. With the adoption of AfCFTA competition regulations, businesses may face compliance obligations under multiple supranational frameworks, making coordination between regional and continental competition regimes increasingly important.