Ghana risks missing trade opportunities without financing for women – GNCCI

The Head of Marketing at the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), Grace Dzeble, has warned that Ghana risks failing to maximise opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) if women and young traders cannot access affordable financing.

She said traders needed financial support to expand their businesses, increase their stock and compete in larger markets across Africa, but high interest rates continued to make borrowing difficult.

Uganda Airlines cuts travel time to Ghana from 10 to 5 hours - Minister

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Dzeble stressed the need for Ghana to invest in its trading community, particularly women, to enable local businesses to benefit from the continental free trade market.

She noted that women account for more than 40% of Ghana’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, making access to affordable credit crucial to the growth and competitiveness of their businesses.

According to her, the main challenge was not necessarily the availability of funds within the banking system but traders’ difficulty in securing loans at affordable interest rates.

“We cannot depend on the commercial banks because there’s availability. But accessibility is a problem. The banks have the money, but they are not able to access,” she said, adding that traders could have sufficient stock and viable business opportunities but still struggle because of high borrowing costs.

Dzeble called on Development Bank Ghana to ensure that its participating financial institutions (PFIs) provided loans through development-financing arrangements rather than relying solely on their conventional commercial lending products.

She explained that development financing could offer more suitable repayment terms, giving women and young entrepreneurs sufficient time to grow their businesses before repaying their loans.

She warned that without affordable financing, many women traders could struggle to expand their operations and compete effectively in regional markets, limiting Ghana’s ability to fully benefit from AfCFTA.

ANAS/MA

“Uganda Airlines Cuts Ghana Travel Time from 10 Hours to 5” – Minister