On Monday, 12 October 2026, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) convened a Regional Stakeholder Engagement Forum at the Jemima Grace Hotel in Techiman under the theme “Strengthening Stakeholder Relations Through Dialogue and Engagement.” The meeting drew 150 attendees, including traditional and religious leaders, market queens, trader associations, SMEs, rural bank representatives, microfinance institutions, security agencies and media practitioners.
The forum is part of BoG’s 16‑regional outreach programme aimed at demystifying the central bank’s mandate, deepening public confidence in the financial system and creating direct feedback channels between the regulator and the public.
Mr Bernard Otabil, Director of Communications, led the delegation alongside Mr Victor Akakpo, Head of Regional Branch Coordinating Office, and Mr Abdulai Lawal Abubakar, Regional Director for Sunyani. Technical presentations were delivered by experts from the Banking Supervision Department, Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department, Financial Stability Department and Currency Management Department.
In his opening remarks, Mr Otabil stressed that central banking cannot thrive in isolation, noting that stakeholder trust is the bedrock of monetary policy effectiveness.
“The Cedi is not just paper. It is trust. It is a social contract between the Bank of Ghana and every Ghanaian. We can formulate the best monetary policy, but if the trader in the Techiman market, arguably one of the largest open markets in West Africa, does not understand or trust it, we have failed. That is why we are here, not to lecture, but to listen, to dialogue, and to partner for financial stability,”
He added that BoG has deliberately shifted to a people‑centred model where public voices shape policy response, especially in fighting unlicensed financial schemes, currency abuse and misinformation.
The programme covered five critical areas: the Bank’s role and mandate; microfinance sector reforms; responsible borrowing and consumer protection; currency education on genuine Cedi notes; and the prevention of dud cheques. Participants raised concerns over affordable credit for SMEs and farmers, high lending rates despite falling inflation, unregulated lenders and “black market” forex operators, and the need for ongoing education on the new Heritage Series Banknotes’ security features.
BoG officials responded in detail, assuring that concerns would be escalated to Management for policy consideration. Mr Otabil reiterated the Bank’s commitment to sustaining open dialogue across all 16 regions as a tool for promoting financial inclusion, literacy and system resilience. He urged the public to be vigilant and report suspected unlicensed financial institutions, counterfeit currency and financial fraud to the Bank or law enforcement agencies.
The forum concluded with a renewed call for partnership between the Bank of Ghana and regional stakeholders to protect the value of the Cedi and safeguard Ghana’s financial stability.
