The World Bank says addressing clearance delays at ports could deliver quick gains for Ghana’s business environment as the country seeks to expand trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Senior Economist at the World Bank Business Ready Unit, Subika Farazi, told a working session in Accra that port clearance delays are constraining trade and slowing private sector growth. Ghana’s export clearance takes an average of nine days, while import clearance stretches to 23 days, compared to five to eight days in Cameroon.
The findings emerged from the World Bank’s Business Ready (B-READY) assessment presented at a high level working session in Accra on Tuesday. The assessment reveals Ghana performs strongly in regulatory frameworks but faces efficiency gaps in implementing those rules.
Ghana scored 69 out of 100 on the regulatory pillar, placing it in the top 60 percent of measured economies. The country ranks highest among regional peers in regulatory framework and second only to Togo in public service delivery.
However, Ghana’s operational efficiency scores lag behind several peer economies. Togo, Senegal, Cameroon and Cape Verde recorded stronger scores on operational efficiency measures, according to the assessment.
Business readiness scores range from 72 percent in financial services to 34 percent in market competition. Labour indicators remain among Ghana’s strongest areas, with the country ranking in the top 20 percent of measured economies.
The World Bank evaluated economies across three main pillars under the B-READY framework. Ghana scored 69 on regulatory framework, 50 on public services, and 52 on operational efficiency.
The country benefits from well developed secured transactions regulations and a solid framework governing electronic payments in financial services, according to the assessment. The report notes effective labour dispute resolution mechanisms are positively influencing job reallocation and productivity.
Market competition emerged as Ghana’s weakest area, scoring just 34 points out of 100 and placing the country in the bottom 20 percent of all measured economies. The assessment points to weaknesses in competition law and enforcement, both in absolute terms and relative to peers.
The working session brought together senior government officials, private sector leaders and World Bank teams to examine constraints affecting food processing, light manufacturing and trade facilitation. These sectors form key components of the government’s 24 Hour Economy (24H⁺) programme.
World Bank Division Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Robert Taliercio, emphasized that the gap between strong rules and slower delivery shapes how investors assess risk, cost and predictability. He noted gross capital formation in Ghana stands at approximately 10 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared to 30 percent in industrialising economies like Morocco.
The assessment highlights additional challenges in business location and property transfer. Transferring property in Ghana takes about 182 days, while obtaining a building permit requires roughly 125 days. In Morocco, property transfers can be completed in about 10 days, with building permits issued within 35 days.
Infrastructure reliability poses significant challenges. Firms experience an average of three power outages each month, while only about half of firms report not experiencing internet disruptions, according to B-READY data. These disruptions pose risks to sectors including global business services, information technology support centres, accounting hubs and analytics operations.
International Finance Corporation (IFC) Senior Country Manager for Ghana and Liberia, Kyle Kelhofer, described the assessment as providing a clear, evidence based view of where Ghana’s business conditions are strong and where they fall short. He stressed that high quality investors consistently seek predictable systems, efficient public services, strong governance and consistent implementation.
The World Bank said addressing clearance delays, improving border management and strengthening operational efficiency could deliver quick wins for Ghana’s business environment, particularly as the country seeks to deepen trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Ghana hosts the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, which coordinates and facilitates implementation of the continental trade agreement. The AfCFTA connects 1.3 billion people across 55 African countries with combined GDP valued at 3.4 trillion United States dollars.
The assessment acknowledged that Ghana recently implemented a Trusted Trader programme, a move expected to significantly improve border management efficiency and boost scores in the next assessment cycle.
The 24H⁺ programme aims to create a business environment where ports, utilities and regulators operate with the reliability required by modern industry. Taliercio stated the programme is not about working endlessly but about system readiness.
The World Bank said the B-READY findings offer detailed, data driven insights to guide Ghana’s reform efforts as it seeks to improve operational efficiency, stimulate private sector growth and strengthen competitiveness both regionally and globally.
