Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has urged Ghana to modernise its legal and regulatory framework, saying weaknesses in contract enforcement, land administration and licensing could increase risks for businesses and investors.
Dr Debrah said Ghana’s ambition to build a competitive investment environment and expand the 24-hour economy required laws and regulations that provided greater certainty and responded to developments in modern commerce.
He made the call at the maiden Annual Bar Conference of the Ghana Law Society on September 30.
According to him, businesses are less likely to commit capital when commercial disputes take too long to resolve or when the rules governing their operations are unclear.
“A business will hesitate to invest where contracts cannot be enforced within a reasonable time,” he said.
Dr Debrah identified land administration as another area requiring reform, noting that uncertainty over ownership could affect both investors and farmers.
He also called for clearer and more predictable licensing procedures, as well as regular reviews of legislation that had become outdated.
Regulation and emerging technologies
The Chief of Staff said Ghana’s legal framework must also keep pace with emerging sectors, particularly data, digital assets and artificial intelligence.
He said uncertainty in these areas could make it difficult for businesses and innovators to operate responsibly while complying with the law.
“A young innovator cannot build responsibly where the rules governing data, digital assets, and artificial intelligence are unclear,” he said.
Dr Debrah proposed that the development of new regulations should take into account their economic costs, impact on individual rights and practical enforceability.
He cautioned that regulations that were excessively difficult or costly to implement could create additional uncertainty for businesses and investors.
He therefore urged policymakers and legal practitioners to view legal reform beyond the traditional confines of the legal profession and recognise its broader implications for economic policy.
“Legal reform is an economic policy as well,” he said.
“Efficient law lowers risk, protects rights, and gives enterprises room to grow.”
Dr Debrah said improvements in commercial justice, land administration and licensing, together with periodic reviews of obsolete legislation, would contribute to a more predictable operating environment.
He maintained that Ghana’s economic ambitions would depend partly on the ability of its legal and regulatory institutions to adapt to changing commercial and technological realities.
