- Ghana Is Removing Market Entry Barriers Outlines Industrial Reform to Attract Investors
Ghana is moving to lower market entry barriers, cut bureaucratic delays and reposition the country as a manufacturing and value-addition hub for West Africa, according to Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare.
Speaking at the Ghana-UK Investment Summit in London, the Minister said the government had begun a broad restructuring of Ghana’s trade, agribusiness and industrial policy framework to reduce the cost of doing business and attract new investment into productive sectors of the economy.
The Minister, who is also Member of Parliament for Techiman North, said the realignment of the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s broader economic “reset agenda”, aimed at creating a stronger, more competitive and export-oriented economy.
“In 16 months, this government… has done what many said would take years,” she said. “The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry has been aligned to lead comprehensive reforms to reduce the cost of doing business, attract investors, rejuvenate manufacturing, and address administrative bureaucracies for a thriving sector.”
According to Madam Ofosu-Adjare, the new policy direction marks a deliberate shift away from Ghana’s long-standing dependence on raw commodity exports toward local processing, industrial production and higher-value exports.
She said the government is targeting growth across manufacturing segments including food processing, ceramics, engineering, beverages, steel, cement, garments, textiles, pharmaceuticals and automotive assembly.
The Minister said this industrial drive is being supported by policies designed to increase domestic patronage of made-in-Ghana products, strengthen local production networks and position Ghanaian firms to participate more effectively in regional and global supply chains.
The push toward value addition, she noted, is already beginning to reflect in Ghana’s export performance.
According to the Minister, Ghana’s non-traditional exports reached a record $5 billion in 2025, representing a 30.7 per cent increase over previous performance levels. Processed and semi-processed foods contributed $3.09 billion to the total, rising by 52.78 per cent from the 2024 baseline.
To support exporters, Madam Ofosu-Adjare said the ministry, working with the Bank of Ghana, had extended the statutory window for the preparation and repatriation of export proceeds from 60 days to 120 days.
The policy change, she said, is expected to give exporters more flexibility to manage foreign exchange flows, trade financing arrangements and treasury positions in international markets.
The Minister also highlighted the government’s plan to deepen commercial contract farming as part of efforts to create stronger linkages between agricultural production zones and industrial processing facilities.
This, she indicated, would help secure reliable raw material supply for local factories while expanding opportunities for farmers and agribusiness operators.
A major part of the reform agenda, she said, is the restructuring of Ghana’s investment laws to remove obstacles that previously discouraged foreign direct investment.
Madam Ofosu-Adjare pointed to the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority Bill as a key pillar of the new investment framework, saying it is intended to transform the state’s investment promotion vehicle into a stronger statutory authority.
“We have moved decisively to build the policy environment that investors require, including removing minimum capital requirements for joint ventures and foreign enterprises, introducing industry-specific incentives, establishing an investor-driven mechanism, and codifying protection against expropriation with guaranteed free transfer of capital and unambiguous access to international arbitration,” she said.
The Minister said additional sector-specific policies are being prepared for legislative passage before the end of 2026.
These frameworks are expected to cover agribusiness operations, pharmaceutical manufacturing, garments and textiles, as well as automotive and component assembly.
She added that the upcoming reforms will also provide the legal architecture for Special Economic Zones across the country.
The zones are expected to offer industry-specific tax incentives, streamlined customs processing and dedicated utility infrastructure to reduce operating costs for manufacturing firms.
For investors, the message from the Trade Minister was direct: Ghana wants to move from policy intention to execution.
The country is seeking to build an investment environment that is more transparent, competitive and legally secure, while offering clearer entry routes into manufacturing, agribusiness, exports and industrial value chains.
The reforms, if implemented with discipline, could help Ghana reduce its dependence on raw commodity exports and create stronger domestic production capacity.
But the test will be whether the state can match the ambition of the blueprint with execution faster approvals, consistent regulation, reliable infrastructure, predictable taxes and a business climate that rewards long-term capital.
