Dr Johnson Asiama is the Governor of the Bank of Ghana
Dr Johnson Asiama, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, has urged business leaders to support efforts toward building a financial system that is inclusive, resilient, and aligned with sustainable economic transformation.
He said the country’s financial system had made significant progress through regulation, digital innovation, and improved supervision, but noted that recent global and domestic developments showed that stability required continuous adaptation.
Dr Asiama was speaking in a speech read on his behalf by Professor John Gatsi, Technical Advisor to the Governor, at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Business Leaders’ Forum on the theme: “Sustainability and Non-Interest Banking in Ghana.”
He said the theme was timely as the country explored models that strengthen financial stability and broaden access to finance.
The Governor said pressures from global shocks, climate risks, and technological changes demanded a financial system that remained efficient, ethical, and responsive to evolving needs.
He said non-interest banking offered a complementary model to traditional finance, promoting shared risks, transparency, and value-based investments that supported inclusive growth.
Dr Asiama said financial stability and economic development were mutually reinforcing, adding that stable financial institutions created confidence for savings and investment, while economic expansion strengthened the broader financial system.
He said non-interest banking would broaden participation in the sector by offering diversified, asset-backed products and expanding inclusion for segments traditionally excluded for cultural or religious reasons.
He said the Bank of Ghana was advancing a secular, market-neutral framework that would allow both conventional banks and fully fledged non-interest banks to operate, supported by collaboration with other regulators and investments in capacity building.
On sustainability, the Governor warned that climate and environmental risks could weaken banks’ loan portfolios and undermine financial stability, indicating that the Central Bank had introduced Sustainable Banking Principles and a Climate-Related Financial Risk Directive to address those concerns.
Dr Asiama said aligning non-interest banking with Ghana’s sustainable finance agenda would help create a financial system that is stable, ethical, and transformative, and called for collective commitment from regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders.
Jamil Amponah, ACCA’s Africa Director, said Ghana’s planned rollout of a non-interest banking framework in 2026 presents an opportunity to reshape the country’s financial architecture through fairness, partnership, and value-driven finance.
He commended the Bank of Ghana for the leadership that had brought the sector to the threshold of implementation.
He said ACCA’s work across Africa and globally positions the organisation as a strong technical partner for Ghana as it prepares for the transition.
Amponah said ACCA had studied Islamic and non-interest finance for over two decades and incorporated its principles into professional training, ensuring practitioners understand profit-and-loss sharing and asset-backed products.
He said Ghana had the opportunity to design a model that supports manufacturing, agriculture, SMEs, youth-led enterprises, and climate-related investments through risk-sharing structures.
He said ACCA was ready to assist with training, supervisory templates, disclosure guidelines, and market education to ensure readiness for 2026.
He described the forthcoming transition as “more than a regulatory milestone,” saying it was a chance to build a banking future that is fair, ethical, and long-lasting.