The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) has let the cat out of the bag by asserting that Ghana remains uncompetitive within the West African sub-region due to high minimum capital requirements imposed on foreign investors.

The long-standing policy, which mandates between US$200,000 and US$1million in minimum equity depending on the type of business, has made Ghana an outlier and discouraged potential investors compared to other markets in the region.

Director-Monitoring and Evaluation at GIPC, George Asafo-Agyei made this clear during the Deloitte–UKGCC Investment Readiness Webinar.

This blanket capital requirement is a key factor undermining Ghana’s competitiveness in the sub-region.

Asafo-Agyei indicated that GIPC is trying to take away the minimum equity requirements for most sectors. The new GIPC bill has been on the drawing board since 2017 and would have passed in 2024 had it not been the last session of parliament.

However, he was quick to clarify that the proposed changes will not fully liberalise all areas, with the trading sector expected to retain strict entry requirements to protect local participation.

The Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA) bill 2025 is set to replace the current GIPC Act, 2013 (Act 865) to modernise investment laws.

For his part, Emmanuel Osei – Head-Technology Transfer Agreement Department, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) – has described the pending Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA) bill 2025 as a major step toward improving Ghana’s technology transfer framework.

“The GIPA bill 2025 is designed to create a more responsive and efficient framework that regulates Technology Transfer Agreements (TTA) and promotes, facilitates and regulates technology transfers in Ghana.”

Among the key reforms are efforts to collaborate with banks to ensure that only valid, registered TTAs are used for foreign exchange remittances.

The webinar, part of UKGCC’s Mandatory Regulatory Compliance Series, supports UKGCC’s broader mission to foster dialogue between the private sector and regulatory bodies

On Thursday 26th March 2026, parliament passed the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority bill, 2025. This bill repeals the existing Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, 2013 (Act 865) and introduces significant changes.