The Bank of Ghana published remarks by Second Deputy Governor Matilda Asante-Asiedu outlining four priorities for converting Ghana’s digital payments infrastructure into wider access to credit. The central bank will finalize and implement open banking and open finance frameworks focused on SME lending, review what lenders may recognize as security, coordinate regulation with the National Insurance Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission through the Financial Stability Council, and expand support for institutions implementing its 2026 cyber and information security requirements. The remarks identified a disconnect between Ghana’s advanced payment rails and its credit architecture, with the annual SME financing gap estimated at nearly USD 4.8 billion. The proposed approach would enable lenders to use transaction histories more effectively in credit decisions and consider whether contracts and receivables should receive greater recognition as security. It would also address fragmented oversight and help smaller Community Banks and other last-mile providers meet cyber resilience standards. Ghana’s mobile money platforms processed 954 million transactions worth about GHS 493 billion in June 2026, with 26.4 million active accounts. The deputy governor argued that future measures of financial inclusion should assess access to credit, insurance and investment on fair terms, rather than account ownership and payment activity alone.

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