Ghana is not only the best place for doing business in West Africa, but the fastest growing economy in the world according to the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report 2019. The country has developed into an established business destination for investors seeking a conducive business environment, committed and progressive government-private sector participation, political stability, transparent regulations and a dynamic private sector ready for partnerships. The government is committed to implementing policies that reduce the general cost of doing business to promote investor confidence in the country. 

The industries to best invest in are :

Agriculture – Agriculture is an important contributor to Ghana’s export earnings, major source of inputs for the manufacturing sector, potential vehicle for creating employment and improving the GDP growth rate of the country from 4.8% to the desired 8%. Ghana cannot experience economic growth and structural trans-formation without the emergence of a productive agricultural sector.Ghana’s potential with respect to commercial agriculture and agro-processing are largely untapped, and we can actualize this potential through good policies, sustained public-private investment and strong public-private partnerships backed by transparent procedures and processes along the entire value chain.

Investment Opportunities

https://www.gipcghana.com/invest-in-ghana/sectors/agriculture-agro-processing/investment-opportunities.html

Textiles – Ghana has a reputation for producing high quality, traditionally designed printed cloth. The widely celebrated Kente cloth of the Ashanti and Ewe people are hand-woven and brightly coloured with traditional symbols and design.African textiles have gained an international reputation for their patterns, but national branding had not been promoted heavily in the past. Promoting high quality, traditionally designed fabrics as “Made in Ghana” appeal to the niche USA markets that manufacturers are beginning to serve.

Food Processing – The food processing industry plays a major role in Ghana’s economy. Major food crops in Ghana generally consist of cereals and starchy foods. Cereals include maize, rice, millet, guinea corn and sorghum, while starchy crops include cassava, yam, cocoyam (taro) and plantain. Currently, food processing in Ghana is done by medium scale enterprises. Over the years, the Government of Ghana has implemented policies that add value to Ghana’s raw agricultural products (e.g. cocoa, cotton, oil palm, etc.). In recent times, intensive efforts have been made by government to process some of these products; for example, volume of cocoa beans processed locally has doubled in the last decade.

Investment Opportunities

https://www.gipcghana.com/invest-in-ghana/sectors/food-processing/investment-opportunities.html

Health – The Health Sector in Ghana is organized at three main levels: national, regional and district. Health interventions are packaged for each level and are delivered at the respective clinics and hospitals. These relate to the minimum benefit package and accreditation status of each facility as provided for under National Health Insurance law.The health industry comprises all firms directly involved in the production and promotion of health care. 

Mineral Processing – Ghana is endowed with substantial mineral resources and has a well-established mining sector, which has grown considerably in recent years to represent an important pillar of the Ghanaian economy.The general slowdown in the mining industry however resulted in medium and micro impacts in terms of loss of employment and other local socio-economic contributions, as operating mines and exploration companies restructured to cut cost in the face of falling gold price. The mining sector contributed GH¢1,285 million to Government revenue in 2015 as against GH¢1,193 million in year 2014. 

Investment Opportunities

https://www.gipcghana.com/invest-in-ghana/sectors/mineral-processing/investment-opportunities.html

Oil and Gas – Ghana is one of Africa’s new oil- and gas- producing nations. The country remains a small producer in the Gulf of Guinea with current output at 126 000 barrels of oil per day (bopd). There are four (4) major oil and gas fields in the country namely: the producing Jubilee field where FPSO Nkrumah (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) is located, the sub-commercial producing Saltpond field, the Tweneboa-Enyenra-Ntomme (TEN) field and Sankofa-Gye-Nyame fields. The Twenneboa, Enyenra, and Ntomme (TEN) fields (with an estimated 240 MMbo and 396 Bcf of gas) started production in August 2016, and the Sankofa, Gye, and Nyame fields, hereafter Sankofa field (with an estimated 500 MMbo and 1.45 trillion cubic feet of gas) started production in May 2017. The contributions of the various fields to the current production levels of 126 000 bopd are:

• Jubilee fields – 31 000 bopd
• TEN fields 50 000 bopd
• Sankofa field 45 000 bopd

Tourism – Ghana’s tourism sector has seen significant investments in the past few years with projects and programs designed to increase investments, improve on existing infrastructure and also to increase the number of tourists visits, both domestic and foreign. The sector has attracted over US 600 million in investments over the last 4 years and continues to be the number 5 highest foreign exchange earner for Ghana.In February 2019, CNN International listed Ghana as one of the 19 must-visit places for tourists for the year 2019.The Ministry of Tourism has developed a 4-year tourism development program. This program seeks to strengthen the tourism enabling environment, develop tourist sites and destinations as well as to provide support to tourism enterprises. When fully implemented, the program is expected to increase international arrivals by 300,000.

Investment Opportunitieshttps://www.gipcghana.com/invest-in-ghana/sectors/tourism/investment-opportunities.html

Reasons to invest in Ghana. 

1.Stable democratic climate

• Ranked as the most stable political environment within the West African sub region and fifth in Africa, Ghana has established democratic institutions and systems to ensure good governance and rule of law in the country – Africa Benchmark Country Report (ABCR, 2017)
• Best judicial system in the world measured by rule of law, World Justice Projects (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2017-2018
• #2 in West Africa, Global Peace Index 2018 

2.Ease of doing business

• Ranked best place for doing business in West Africa according to the Ease of Doing Business Report 2019 (114th globally)
• Best destination in Sub-Saharan Africa (A.T Kearney Global Services Location Index (GSLI), 2017
• Most competitive economy in the West African sub region and #10 in Sub Saharan Africa, (World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index 2018)
• #2 FDI destination in West Africa & #7 in Sub-Saharan Africa (EY Attractiveness Survey 2018)

3.Accessibility

• Geographically closer than any other country to the center of the planet. An average of 8 hours of flying time to Europe and the Americas. World Population Review (WPR)
• Refurbished world class airport within the West African sub region serving numerous flights from within the continent, Europe and the rest of the world
• Home to one of West Africa’s largest ports (Tema which is currently being upgraded to handle 3.5 million TEUs) centrally located in West Africa. (Aecom Projects)
• Good network of trunk roads and financial services
• Immediate access to the over 350m market of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) 

4.Competitive and educated labour force

• Availability of skilled and trainable labour
• One of the most competitive minimum wages in the West African sub region at an annual average rate of $558
• One of the highest literacy rates in the West African sub –region (World by Map 2018) 

5.Growing population and middle class

• Growing population of ~2% p.a. with increasing urbanization and growing middle class– composed of individuals with a daily income of at least $8.44 – exceeds 1m people, (KPMG) 

6.Strong resource pool

• #2 largest cocoa producer in the world and Africa’s biggest gold miner after South Africa. 

7.Other International Benchmarks

• #6 overall in Africa – Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance of African Governance (IIAG 2018)
• #5 in Africa for Human development
• #6 for Safety and Rule of Law
• Most resilient economy in West Africa, (African Attractiveness Index 2018) 

Tax & Incentives

Tax Regime And Investment

Ghana offers competitive investment incentives to investors. Click here for a more comprehensive inventory of investment incentives in Ghana (PDF Version).  Click here for inventory of incentives in Ghana (Excel Version).

The inventory includes information on the type of incentives offered, their eligibility criteria, the relevant laws and regulations, and links to further information.  The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) is committed to showcasing Ghana as an influential leader for doing business in Africa. One of the ways GIPC is advancing transparency  on its investment policy is through this publication of  a comprehensive list of investment incentives made available to investors by the Government of Ghana. The list will be updated periodically to reflect the latest policies and data.  By serving as a one-stop, centralized access point for information on incentives, the inventory aims to support GIPC’s efforts in attracting and growing investment in Ghana while creating jobs and supporting businesses.  

The inventory includes information on the type of incentives offered, their eligibility criteria, the relevant laws and regulations, and links to further information. This inventory is an evolving document that we at GIPC are continuing to refine with your contribution. Please feel free to contact us at incentives@gipc.gov.gh relating to any investment incentives available in Ghana not captured in the table below or any changes you would like to suggest.

Tax Regime (Ghana Revenue Authority)

• Corporate Tax 25%
• Rent Tax 8%
• Mineral Royalties 5%
• VAT 15%
• NHIL 2.5%
• Hotels 22%
• Financial Institutions- Income From Loan To Farming Enterprises/Lease Company 20%
• Companies Engaged In Non- Traditional Export 8%
• Companies Listed On The Stock Exchange 22%

Investment Incentives

• Real Estate (Certified Low Cost Housing) 5 Years 1% 
• Rural Banks 10 Years 1%
• Cattle Ranching 10 Years 1%
• Tree Cropping (e.g Coffee, Oil Palm, Shea-Butter and Coconut) 10 Years 1%
• Livestock Excluding Cattle And Poultry 5 Years 1%
• Fish Farming, Poultry And Cash Crops 5 Years 1
• Agro-Processing – Converting Fish, Livestock Into Edible Canned Products 5 Years 1%
• Waste Processing (Including Plastics and Polythene) 7 Years 1%
• Free Zones Enterprise/Development 10 Years 0%

Ghana Investment Promotion Centre

Telelphone  / Fax

Tel: +233 302 665125 /665126/ 665127/ 665128/665129

Tel: +233 244318254/ 244318252

Fax: +233 302 663801/ 663655

Email:  info@gipc.gov.gh