Turn economic recovery into real growth - Swiss Ambassador

Outgoing Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Benin, and Togo, Simone Giger, has praised Ghana’s rebound from the 2022 economic crisis but stressed that the country must now pursue structural reforms to sustain its gains.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, July 9, 2026, Ambassador Giger commended the government for stabilising the macroeconomy since her arrival at the height of the downturn.

“They have improved. If you look at the macroeconomy, we have to say kudos to this government. It’s not easy,” she said.

She cautioned, however, that stability alone is not enough.

“What Ghana needs in the medium term are structural reforms. I want to see the infrastructure that is being built. I want to see the business environment improve beyond the macroeconomic figures. There’s a lot of stuff that still needs to be done.”

Ambassador Giger noted that Ghana’s long-term growth depends on fixing infrastructure gaps, improving the ease of doing business, and diversifying an economy still heavily reliant on a narrow set of sectors.

Reflecting on her early days in Ghana, she recalled arriving in 2022 when the cedi was trading at around six to the dollar, only to watch it depreciate rapidly.

“I think I came here when the cedi was around six to the US dollar, and by December it had depreciated significantly. I was like, ‘Oh my God, what have I gotten into?’ No one could have briefed me for that,” she said.

Four years on, she acknowledged that Ghana’s economic picture has improved considerably. Yet she emphasised that the recovery must be backed by real reforms to ensure resilience and lasting growth.

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