Consultant Mohamed Benjelloun (L) with the GIPC CEO Simon Madjie

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Simon Madjie, has called on investors to take advantage of Ghana’s pro-business environment.

He said government initiatives, including the 24-Hour Economy and Export Development Programme and the Big Push Agenda, are key drivers of growth and investment opportunities in the country.

Madjie made the remarks when GIPC hosted a delegation from Casablanca Finance City (CFC) during its 2025 West Africa Tour.

He emphasised that the policies are designed to support companies exploring business opportunities in Ghana.

The 24-Hour Economy and Export Development Programme encourages firms, particularly in priority sectors, to operate round the clock through multiple shifts, with the aim of increasing productivity, creating jobs and enhancing Ghana’s competitiveness in the West African region.

GIPC CEO elected WAIPA Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa

The Big Push Agenda focuses on large-scale infrastructure projects, including roads, ports and industrial zones, to promote sustainable economic growth and attract long-term investment.

Madjie also highlighted the growing economic cooperation between Ghana and Morocco and assured the delegation of GIPC’s full support as they assess business opportunities.

The delegation, led by Aziz El Khyari, Director of Business Development and African Cooperation at CFC, commended Ghana’s improving infrastructure and vibrant tourism sector.

The Centre’s Head of Investment Promotion and Business Development, Kwame Kesse, identified high-potential sectors such as fintech, tourism, water and construction, noting strong opportunities for both local and foreign investors.

President of the Ghana Football Association and CAF 2nd Vice-President, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, has launched a comprehensive insurance policy for referees.

The launch is a major step forward in welfare and protection for match officials across the country’s domestic leagues.

The initiative, introduced on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, fulfils a pledge he made during the 31st Ordinary Session of Congress in Prampram in August.

According to the GFA President, this is a significant moment for Ghanaian football, underlining the central role referees play in maintaining the integrity of the game.

He noted that the commitment made at Congress was deliberate, aimed at improving working conditions for referees nationwide. “I assured you that the Football Association under my leadership would take bold steps to elevate referee welfare, strengthen officiating standards and provide the necessary protection and motivation for the men and women who uphold the game’s integrity,’ he said.

All 280 referees in the Premier League, Division One League and Women’s Premier League have been enrolled in the new scheme. The package covers Group Life, Critical Illness, Permanent Disability, Medical Expenses and Workmen’s Compensation. Additional benefits extend support to spouses, children and parents, along with funeral assistance.

“This is not just an insurance policy; it is a social protection package,” Simeon-Okraku said, adding that it reflects the FA’s commitment to safeguarding referees and their families.

Alongside the insurance scheme, the GFA has also provided improved logistics. Every referee will receive two pairs of boots per season, three sets of uniforms and three sets of warm-up kits. He noted that this is the first time officials have been offered such a complete logistical package.

Referees will also continue to enjoy a 50 percent discount on official travel through the FA’s long-standing partnership with STC.

Simeon-Okraku outlined further strides in the development of officiating standards, including fitness tests, performance-based appointments, nationwide refresher courses and the expanded use of video analysis. He also highlighted progress in female officiating and the growth of the Catch Them Young programme.

He described the launch as the start of a new chapter for Ghanaian refereeing. “Today signals the beginning of a future where referees step onto the pitch with peace of mind, knowing that their health, safety and dignity are protected,” he stated.

The event was attended by senior officials from Enterprise Life Assurance Company, the Referees Committee and male and female FIFA referees.

By Laudia Sawer, GNA  

Accra, Nov. 25, GNA – The Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service (DOVVSU) has encouraged the public, especially women who are going through domestic abuses, to promptly report to save their lives. 

Madam Victoria Larbi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), at Adenta DOVVSU, speaking with some selected women in the area, said the Unit was established to handle cases of abuses, therefore victims must report their issues instead of suffering in silence. 

 ASP Larbi was speaking at an engagement organised by the Adenta Municipal Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in collaboration with the GIZ and the European Union on rule of law and corruption. 

She said DOVVSU was established to protect women, children and men who faced all forms of abuses, explaining that they handled a wide range of issues, including domestic physical, emotional, financial, economic, verbal, non-verbal as well as sexual abuses respectively.  

She explained that physical abuse involved inflicting pain on the body, while emotional abuse could involve acts of innuendo, mocking, and body shaming, such as calling people ‘Oboshie’(overweight).  

She said keeping such emotional abuses without seeking help could lead to hypertension and living in fear; therefore, it was very important for people to speak up against such acts. 

ASP Larbi further stated that sexual abuse could also come in forms like inappropriate, unapproved physical fumbling, advising that parents must also pay attention to their male children, as now some were also being ‘sodomised.’  

“Now, even the boys are also being abused; don’t think that it is only the girls that are prone to sexual abuse. Some women too are abusing men sexually; they slap their buttocks and touching them inappropriately and they must report too,” she said. 

 On financial abuse, she said, “If the person who is supposed to care for you financially, for example, your husband is not giving you money or is exploiting you financially, it amounts to financial abuse.” 

Touching on other abuses, she indicated that refusing to provide food for one’s children and women refusing to help their husbands when in need amounted to economic abuse, while other abuses included psychological and digital abuses.  

Madam Araba Diaba (Esq.), the Head of the Madina Office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), talking on corruption, noted that it came in many forms, including bribery, nepotism, embezzlement, and favouritism. 

Madam Diaba said corrupt practices affected all Ghanaians one way or the other, explaining that it had a rippling effect on the provision of good health, education, social amenities, and other developmental projects.  

Madam Sylvia Osei-Bonsu, the Adenta NCCE Municipal Director, urged Ghanaians to join in the corruption fight by reporting such activities to authorities for actions to be taken. 

She encouraged groups to contact and invite the NCCE and other partner agencies to their meetings for such education. 

GNA 

Edited by Christabel Addo 

President John Dramani Mahama has dismissed public calls for the immediate appointment of substantive Ministers for Defence and Environment, Science and Technology, saying those positions will be filled in 2026.

He made the comments during a meeting with Muslim leaders at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, November 25.

Referring to the recent deaths of Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Dr. Murtala Muhammed, the President urged the public to avoid speculation about replacements.

“They say Allah gives and Allah takes. He took two of our comrades and we haven’t filled those positions yet,” he said.

Mahama stressed that rumours about imminent appointments were unfounded. “I can see people speculating he is going to appoint new Defence minister, new Environment minister. We are not in a hurry,” he stated.

He assured that the government will make the necessary appointments early next year.

“We will do those appointments next year. After the holiday, the Christmas and the holiday, we will fill those positions,” he said.

The President further encouraged the public to disregard claims that new ministers would be announced soon.

“So those speculating about somebody going to be appointed tomorrow and all that, just take your time, go and enjoy Christmas and after Christmas we will fill those ones,” he added.

The two ministers were among eight people who died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6, this year while on their way to a national assignment in the Ashanti Region.

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Consultant Mohamed Benjelloun (L) with the GIPC CEO Simon Madjie

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Simon Madjie, has called on investors to take advantage of Ghana’s pro-business environment.

He said government initiatives, including the 24-Hour Economy and Export Development Programme and the Big Push Agenda, are key drivers of growth and investment opportunities in the country.

Madjie made the remarks when GIPC hosted a delegation from Casablanca Finance City (CFC) during its 2025 West Africa Tour.

He emphasised that the policies are designed to support companies exploring business opportunities in Ghana.

The 24-Hour Economy and Export Development Programme encourages firms, particularly in priority sectors, to operate round the clock through multiple shifts, with the aim of increasing productivity, creating jobs and enhancing Ghana’s competitiveness in the West African region.

GIPC CEO elected WAIPA Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa

The Big Push Agenda focuses on large-scale infrastructure projects, including roads, ports and industrial zones, to promote sustainable economic growth and attract long-term investment.

Madjie also highlighted the growing economic cooperation between Ghana and Morocco and assured the delegation of GIPC’s full support as they assess business opportunities.

The delegation, led by Aziz El Khyari, Director of Business Development and African Cooperation at CFC, commended Ghana’s improving infrastructure and vibrant tourism sector.

The Centre’s Head of Investment Promotion and Business Development, Kwame Kesse, identified high-potential sectors such as fintech, tourism, water and construction, noting strong opportunities for both local and foreign investors.

The survey also showed growing pessimism among respondents about job availability

America’s economic mood is souring as worries about the labor market mount.

The Conference Board’s latest survey of American consumers, released Tuesday, showed that consumer confidence declined sharply this month to a reading of 88.7, the lowest level since April, when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs.

“Consumers’ write-in responses pertaining to factors affecting the economy continued to be led by references to prices and inflation, tariffs and trade, and politics, with increased mentions of the federal government shutdown,” Dana Peterson, the Conference Board’s chief economist, said in a release. The government shutdown ended earlier this month, so consumer confidence could rebound in December.

The survey also showed growing pessimism among respondents about job availability and income prospects in the next six months.

“Mid-2026 expectations for labor market conditions remained decidedly negative, and expectations for increased household incomes shrunk dramatically, after six months of strongly positive readings,” Peterson said.

There have been high-profile announcements of layoffs in recent weeks, but that doesn’t immediately translate into higher unemployment, which was at a low 4.4% rate in September, according to the latest Labor Department data.

How do you compete when only the winners get the contract? Many small and medium enterprises in Ghana continue to lose visibility, credibility and revenue because their digital presence fails to meet basic global business standards.

The problem is widespread and affects regulated industries that should ideally lead the country in digital adoption.

A simple audit of professional sectors in 2025 reveals an alarming truth. Ghanaian businesses operate in a global digital economy, yet most of them remain invisible online.

EnspireFX Websites, a leading web development company in Ghana, has monitored this situation closely for years. The company specialises in premium, high-performance website design and development for SMEs, financial institutions, professional service firms and international organisations.

The team at EnspireFX observed a troubling pattern across almost every local industry, and the data confirms that many businesses continue to lose money because their digital infrastructure is either weak or absent.

My recent checks in 2025 highlight the scale of the problem. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ghana published a list of 367 licensed accounting firms. A review of these firms shows that only about 130 even had websites. Out of those 130, only 87 had functioning sites that loaded properly. The rest had expired domain renewals, inactive hosting servers or broken pages.

The banking and finance sector had similar results. Many Bank of Ghana-licensed savings and loans companies, microfinance institutions, rural banks, microcredit companies and investment firms had non-functioning websites. A considerable number of them had corporate emails that did not work at all. Basic communication channels that form the foundation of trust in global finance were simply unavailable.

The situation within technical professional bodies did not look any better. One would expect a stronger online presence from the Ghana Institution of Engineers or the Ghana Institute of Architects.

These are industries built on precision, quality control and technical leadership. Yet a significant portion of these firms did not have functioning websites or updated digital profiles. This absence created a credibility gap that directly affects partnerships, procurement and professional visibility.

A major cause of this widespread digital failure comes from poor experiences with web designers in the past. Many SMEs invested in websites only to lose those investments before the year ended.

The rise of the student developer phenomenon made the issue worse. IT students with a few months of WordPress experience often took on full commercial projects. They offered extremely cheap pricing, then delivered non-functional or poorly built websites that broke quickly.

These websites lacked renewal structures, security measures, maintenance plans and long-term ownership documentation. Businesses lost money, lost confidence and avoided further investment in online systems. The industry now suffers from deep mistrust.

The global impact of this cannot be overlooked. SMEs in Ghana attempt to compete with firms abroad that take digital presence seriously.

A one-man carpenter or plumber in the United States often operates with a fully functional website, structured service pages, working email accounts and review systems. Meanwhile, licensed audit firms, engineering firms and law firms in Ghana sometimes lack even a basic website or LinkedIn presence.

The gap in professionalism becomes obvious to potential clients. Many Ghanaian firms have names that mirror industry naming conventions abroad. Terms like Associates and Partners appear frequently.

A search for a Ghanaian firm called AA Partners, for example, produces dozens of results from the United Kingdom and other countries because those firms dominate search engines. Ghanaian brands disappear entirely.

You have to understand that when it comes to online visibility and authority, the older the better. After 6 years of solid online presence, you can’t search for any web design-related query on Google and not find EnspireFX.

We’re so prominent, we even dominate searches in Sierra Leone, Gambia, Liberia, Cameroon, and Rwanda, and more. We even rank in Delaware and Dallas, Texas, in the US, after working with several US SMEs from there.

So, existing limitations in online presence prevent SMEs from establishing international credibility. Local professional service firms such as accounting firms, legal chambers, engineers and consultants have the capacity to work for clients around the world. Yet, they lose these opportunities because global clients cannot verify their existence.
A company cannot enter meaningful partnerships when it lacks a basic website. Directory listings such as Yellow Pages Ghana and scattered social media pages do not count as a digital presence. They only highlight the absence of ownership over the brand’s identity online.

Modern markets do not treat all companies equally. The power-law distribution affects almost every industry. Studies across the world show that a small percentage of players control most of the profits, visibility and trust. 10% of companies capture up to 99% of industry profits. In digital markets, 1% often controls more than 70% of attention and revenue.

The same pattern appears in SaaS, content creation, e-commerce and finance. The most visible brands attract the most clients, investors and opportunities. The invisible brands remain unknown, regardless of competence. Ghanaian SMEs that lack functional websites fall automatically into the unseen category.

The consequences go beyond lost sales. A poor online presence damages brand perception. Web-savvy competitors attract clients through search engines, LinkedIn, Google Business Profiles and targeted content. Meanwhile, local SMEs that depend solely on word-of-mouth remain stuck in small geographic circles with their desire to get on TV and radio.

They miss global partnerships, supply chain networks, outsourcing opportunities and export opportunities. Local professionals cannot demonstrate thought leadership without a digital platform. Their competitors in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, the UK and the US position themselves as industry authorities while Ghanaian firms remain silent online.

I know an engineering firm that got the offer to partner with a global giant as their Ghanaian local partner, purely because they had a website. The global firm was looking for a local rep, and an online search brought up this company; they were the only Ghanaian firm in the search results.

What can we do?

EnspireFX has designed solutions to correct this challenge. We provide transparent website design packages that match different business needs and budgets. Clients can choose from one-page landing sites, startup websites, SME business websites or full e-commerce systems.

These packages include domain registration, website hosting, corporate email setup, SSL certificates, mobile-first design, search engine optimisation, Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, Google Merchant Centre integration, WhatsApp chat, security firewalls, automatic daily backups, speed optimisation, newsletter signup systems and conversion tools.

Completion periods range from seven to twenty-eight working days, depending on the project scale. Pricing ranges from ₵2,490.00 for basic one-pager sites to ₵6,490.00 for comprehensive e-commerce systems.

We believe ₵2,490.00 is low enough for the most cash-strapped firm, and not be drawn to cheap offers from inexperienced fly-by-night designers.

A critical commitment from EnspireFX protects clients from the problems that caused this industry breakdown. We ensure that every client owns and controls all licences and digital assets. Domain registrations, hosting accounts, cPanel access, corporate email servers, website backend access and third-party platforms are always set up in the client’s name.

EnspireFX operates strictly as a contractor working on the client’s assets with the client’s approval. Clients retain full control even if we are no longer involved in the project. This approach aligns with international best practices and complies with Ghanaian data protection and intellectual property laws.

No business should lose access to its own website because a developer who was only building sites as a hobby has now landed a “proper” job and disappeared. EnspireFX makes sure that never happens.

Real-world results support this approach. Testimonials from healthcare firms, construction companies, e-commerce brands and creative businesses confirm that well-built websites increase visibility, strengthen trust and improve conversions.

Clients frequently report faster websites, improved ranking on Google, better user experience and stronger digital credibility. These gains turn directly into revenue.

So, Ghanaian SMEs can transform their competitiveness by improving their online presence. The world rewards visibility, consistency and digital accessibility. Local firms that ignore their websites will continue to lose global opportunities.

Also, a functioning website creates new markets, long-term partnerships and international reach. Ghana cannot participate fully in the global economy if its professional firms remain offline.

Any SME that wants to grow must take its digital presence seriously. EnspireFX offers solutions that protect the client, guarantee transparency and deliver quality that meets global standards. We don’t need forever to reverse this. I strongly believe that even before the close of the year, we can help several SMEs to go online in a professional and budget-friendly way.

The country can reverse the digital credibility gap before 2026 if businesses make deliberate investment in functional, secure and high-performance websites. The opportunity exists. Ghanaian SMEs only need to take it.

–

About The Author
Rev. Dennis Gyamfi Bediako is the CEO of EnspireFX Websites, an SME web design company based in Accra, Ghana. Contact: 0550919202; Email: [email protected]

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.