As part of conscious steps to sharpen journalists’ grasp of the investment landscape, Transparency International-Ghana, together with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), held a one-day capacity-building session for Ashanti Region reporters.
The workshop’s main aim was to equip journalists to report more effectively on Ghana’s investment environment in order to boost transparency, accountability, sound governance and informed public debate.
It also sought to deepen journalists’ knowledge of Ghana’s investment laws, policies and institutional setup, among other areas. The session, which gathered 40 editors and senior media practitioners, forms part of Transparency International-Ghana’s continuous push to close governance and regulatory loopholes that weaken investor trust.
The training, themed “Promoting transparency and accountability in Ghana’s investment regime, The role of journalists,” took place on Tuesday, 26th May, 2026, at True Vine Hotel, Ahodwo-Kumasi.
The Finance Head of Transparency International-Ghana, Mr Benedict Doh, delivered a presentation on “Promoting transparency and accountability in Ghana’s investment regime: The role of journalists.”
He also gave a brief on the TI-Ghana project and the reason for the meeting, while Mr Michael Otchere, GIPC Deputy Director, Kumasi, spoke on GIPC’s mandate, existing sector investment prospects, why Ghana stands out for potential investors, and related issues.
In his remarks, Mr Benedict Doh said investment drives global economic growth, job creation, industrialisation, infrastructure expansion and revenue generation and Ghana is no different.
He noted that Ghana’s investment framework is guided by multiple laws, policies and bodies, including GIPC, the Companies Act, tax statutes, mining and petroleum laws, public-private partnership rules and sector-specific regulations.
In addition, the country is party to bilateral and international investment agreements. Mr Doh pointed out that although investment strongly supports economic growth, questions keep surfacing around transparency, accountability, and related concerns.
The TI-Ghana Finance Head explained that because of these issues, the media has a vital duty to advance transparency, accountability and citizen engagement in governance.
He said journalists must inform citizens, probe investment deals, track project execution and uncover wrongdoing when needed. Yet, “despite the increasing importance of investments in Ghana’s economy, media reporting on investment-related issues remains limited in depth and technical accuracy.”
He added that reporters often struggle to interpret complex investment contracts, tax breaks and other technical details, hence the training. Mr Benedict Doh stressed that despite key steps to curb corruption and improve transparency and accountability, Ghana’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) performance is still poor — a score of 42% in 2024. Mr Doh emphasised that strengthening the investment climate and tackling corruption are both essential to pulling in quality capital.
For his part, Mr Michael Otchere, GIPC Deputy Director, Kumasi, debunked the idea that his office focuses solely on foreign capital. He said GIPC pursues both local and overseas investments. “Sometimes, people say GIPC is only interested in foreign investments and that’s not true.”
Mr. Otchere said GIPC handles investment promotion and facilitation, technology transfer deals, business-to-business connections, quotas and exemptions, aftercare and more.
He argued that Ghana is the top place to do business due to a supportive environment, a strategic spot for global links, a rising middle-income population and market access.Ghana also holds vast resource reserves, he added.
The GIPC deputy director listed key sectors for investment, including agriculture and agribusiness, energy and renewable infrastructure, infrastructure projects, manufacturing, tourism, and health, among others.
He therefore urged domestic and international investors to channel their funds into Ghana.He raised concern, however, that a major hurdle is some Ghanaians fronting for foreigners, and called for collective action to fix it.Mr Otchere warned that it is illegal to front for foreigners in activities set aside for Ghanaian citizens.Participants were also briefed on the GIPC Act 2013, Act 865, especially section 27, which covers “ACTIVITIES RESERVED FOR GHANAIANS AND GHANAIAN-OWNED ENTERPRISES”.Section 27 reads as follows;
(1) A person who is not a citizen or an enterprise that is not wholly owned by a citizen shall not invest or participate in—a. the sale of goods or provision of services in a market, petty trading or hawking, or selling of goods in a stall at any place;b. the operation of a taxi or car hire service in an enterprise that has a fleet of less than twenty-five vehicles;c. the operation of a beauty salon or a barber shop; d. the printing of recharge scratch cards for the use of subscribers of telecommunication services;e. the production of exercise books and other basic stationery; f. the retail of finished pharmaceutical products;g. the production, supply, and retail of sachet water; and h. all aspects of the pool betting business and lotteries, except football pools.
(2) The minister, in consultation with the board, may by legislative instrument amend the list of enterprises reserved for citizens and enterprises wholly owned by citizens.
