Why Ghana must enforce the issuance of proper money market instruments

Money market instruments are the backbone of any well-functioning financial system. They provide short-term funding to issuers, preserve capital for investors, and serve as the benchmark for pricing risk across the economy. In Ghana, however, the money market outside government Treasury bills remains weak, inconsistently applied, and poorly enforced.

This gap has distorted investment decisions, weakened financial intermediation, and limited credit flow to productive sectors. For Ghana’s capital market to mature, it is imperative that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) enforce the proper issuance of money market instruments by banks and corporates, rather than allowing substitutes such as underpriced fixed deposits to dominate institutional portfolios.

Understanding the money market

The money market refers to the segment of the financial market where short-term debt instruments, typically with maturities of up to one year, are issued and traded. These instruments are designed primarily for capital preservation, liquidity, and predictable returns. Common examples include Treasury bills, commercial paper, fixed deposit (certificates of deposit), bankers’ acceptances, and repurchase agreements.

Among these instruments, Treasury bills occupy a unique position. Backed by the sovereign, they are considered risk-free and therefore form the base rate of the economy. All other short-term instruments should logically be priced at a premium above Treasury bills to compensate investors for additional credit and liquidity risk.

How money market instruments are issued

In a properly regulated environment, issuing a money market instrument follows a clear and disciplined process. The issuer, whether a bank or a corporate entity, must first meet defined eligibility requirements, including regulatory licensing, adequate capitalization, and sound governance structures. The instrument is then structured with transparent terms covering tenor, pricing, repayment obligations, and disclosure of risks.

Regulatory approval by the SEC is a critical step. This ensures that offering documents meet disclosure standards and that investors are adequately informed. Once approved, the instrument can be issued to the investing public, distributed through licensed intermediaries, and reported or listed through recognized market infrastructure such as the GSE.

Ongoing disclosure, settlement discipline, and timely repayment complete the cycle. This process is what differentiates a true money market instrument from informal or bilateral deposit arrangements.

The current distortion in Ghana’s market

Despite existing regulatory frameworks, banks in Ghana have largely avoided issuing formal money market instruments. Instead, they rely heavily on fixed deposits, many of which are priced below prevailing Treasury bill rates. Institutional investors, particularly pension funds, continue to place significant funds in these deposits, even though they carry a higher risk than government securities.

The result is a structural distortion. Banks mobilize cheap deposits and reinvest them in Treasury bills, earning risk-free arbitrage profits. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized enterprises, manufacturers, agribusinesses, and infrastructure projects struggle to access financing. Capital circulates within the financial system without reaching the productive economy.

Why enforcement by SEC and GSE is critical

The SEC and GSE play a central role in restoring balance to the system. Enforcing the issuance of proper money market instruments would introduce transparency, standardization, and accountability into short-term funding markets. Unlike fixed deposits, money market instruments require clear disclosure, defined pricing mechanisms, and regulatory oversight, which collectively protect investors and improve market confidence.

Enforcement would also restore rational risk pricing. When banks and corporates are required to issue money market instruments, they must price them above Treasury bills to attract investors. This eliminates the incentive for easy arbitrage and forces issuers to deploy funds into productive lending to maintain profitability.

More broadly, a vibrant money market deepens the capital market by improving price discovery, creating a short-term yield curve, and strengthening monetary policy transmission.

The importance of clear money market guidelines

Clear and consistently enforced guidelines for money market issuance benefit both regulators and market participants. For investors, they reduce uncertainty and mis-selling while improving comparability across instruments. For issuers, they provide a predictable framework for accessing short-term funding. For regulators, they enhance oversight of systemic risk and funding flows.

Importantly, clear guidelines ensure that pension and institutional investment rules are applied in spirit rather than form. When regulations require allocation to bank money market instruments, those instruments must actually exist in a structured, regulated format, not be substituted with underpriced deposits.

Impact on fund managers’ asset allocation decisions

A properly functioning money market would significantly improve fund managers’ investment decisions. With access to transparent, diversified short-term instruments, fund managers can manage liquidity more efficiently, reduce excessive concentration in government securities, and improve risk-adjusted returns.

Money market instruments also allow better matching of short-term liabilities without forcing premature liquidation of long-term assets. Ultimately, this strengthens fiduciary outcomes for pension contributors and other investors.

Broader economic implications

The development of a genuine money market has far-reaching implications for the economy. When banks can no longer rely on arbitrage between deposits and government securities, they are compelled to lend to SMEs and real-sector projects.

This stimulates job creation, boosts productivity, and accelerates economic growth. Financial intermediation improves, and capital begins to flow where it is most needed.

Conclusion

Money market instruments are not optional financial products; they are essential infrastructure for a balanced and efficient financial system. Without firm enforcement by the SEC and the GSE, Ghana’s market will remain skewed toward government borrowing and passive banking profits.

By enforcing proper money market issuance, regulators can restore pricing discipline, improve fund managers’ asset selection, protect investors, and redirect capital toward productive economic activity. A transparent and well-regulated money market is not merely a financial reform, but it is a national development imperative.

Then again, the development and enforcement of a transparent money market framework is critical to restoring balance in Ghana’s financial system and ensuring that capital flows to sectors that drive real economic growth. Investors, pension trustees, and fund managers must also take an active interest in understanding how money market instruments work, how they should be priced, and how they fit into a sound portfolio construction.