The American Chamber of Commerce Ghana’s Legal, Policy and Governance Committee convened on 23 June 2026 at the AmCham Ghana Secretariat, bringing together legal practitioners, policy experts, business leaders, and government affairs professionals to examine the regulatory and legislative developments most relevant to Ghana’s business environment. The meeting was chaired by Augustine Kidisil, Managing Partner at Templars Ghana, one of Ghana’s leading commercial law firms, whose leadership brought a sharp legal and policy lens to the discussions. The session took place at a moment when Ghana’s legislative calendar is particularly active, with several consequential bills moving through the pipeline across digital governance, labour regulation, investment policy, and trade facilitation. The committee reaffirmed its commitment to serving as a credible and proactive voice for the private sector, with members agreeing that effective advocacy means engaging policymakers early in the legislative process rather than responding after decisions have already been made.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on Ghana’s emerging digital policy landscape, particularly proposed legislation governing artificial intelligence, data transfers, and emerging technologies more broadly. Members expressed concern that overlapping regulatory mandates and multiple approval requirements across institutions could increase compliance costs and create the kind of uncertainty that discourages technology-driven investment, sitting in direct tension with Ghana’s ambition to become a regional innovation hub. The committee also discussed labour regulation reforms, stressing that any new legislative framework must reflect the realities of modern business practices, including evolving workforce models and the growing role of digital and remote work arrangements. In both areas, members identified the need to obtain and review draft bills early so that the private sector’s experience and concerns can be incorporated before policies are finalised.

On trade and investment, the committee examined Ghana’s obligations and opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement and the African Growth and Opportunity Act, both of which are at important inflection points. While AfCFTA holds significant promise for regional integration, members pointed to persistent barriers including high logistics costs, limited trade facilitation, and insufficient awareness of market access opportunities as challenges that continue to hold back intra-African commerce. Discussions also touched on the balance between local content objectives and maintaining Ghana’s attractiveness to foreign investors, with members noting that transparency, consistency, and predictability in policy implementation are as important as the policies themselves. Ease of doing business, including efficient dispute resolution, predictable tax administration, and better coordination among regulatory institutions, was identified as a priority theme that cuts across all of these areas.

Looking ahead, the committee outlined a series of priority engagements for the coming months with institutions including the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Office of the Registrar of Companies, the Judiciary, and other regulatory bodies whose decisions directly affect business operations. Members agreed that the strongest advocacy positions are those grounded in documented member experience and credible sector data, and the committee encouraged companies to share their encounters with regulatory and compliance challenges so that these can inform the Chamber’s submissions and stakeholder engagements. Through consistent dialogue with policymakers and regulators, the Legal, Policy and Governance Committee will continue working to ensure that Ghana’s regulatory environment keeps pace with its economic ambitions, and that the voice of the private sector contributes meaningfully to shaping the policy decisions that determine whether those ambitions are realised.

AmCham Ghana Legal, Policy and Governance Committee

AmCham Ghana Communications Office

www.amchamghana.org

The American Chamber of Commerce Ghana’s Health, Hospitality, Logistics, Transport and Aviation Sector Committee convened on 23 June 2026 at the AmCham Ghana Secretariat, bringing together industry leaders from across these sectors to examine the barriers most affecting Ghana’s competitiveness as a business, tourism, and investment destination. The meeting was chaired by Emmanuel Antwi, Country Lead for Johnson and Johnson Innovative Medicine, whose expertise in the healthcare and life sciences sector shaped a discussion that was grounded in both commercial reality and public interest. Members worked through a wide range of concerns, from the high cost of intra-Africa air travel and logistics bottlenecks to gaps in healthcare coverage and the rising cost of doing business in the hospitality sector. What united every conversation was a shared conviction that Ghana has the potential to become West Africa’s leading hub across all these sectors, and that closing the gap between that potential and the current operating reality requires deliberate, evidence-based engagement with government and regulators.

Connectivity emerged as the meeting’s most persistent theme. Members noted that it is, in many cases, cheaper to fly from Accra to a European city than to a neighbouring West African capital, a situation driven by unresolved traffic rights agreements, limited route competition, and a compounding tax burden on air tickets. At Kotoka International Airport, committee members raised concerns about the pace and communication surrounding ongoing infrastructure changes, stressing that operational decisions affecting airlines and passengers must be accompanied by transparent, timely stakeholder engagement. For Ghana to fulfil its ambition as a regional aviation hub, members agreed, infrastructure development must be matched by policies that actively encourage carrier competition and keep travel accessible for the business travellers and tourists the country is working hard to attract.

On healthcare, the committee welcomed recent indications that the National Health Insurance Scheme will expand reinvestment coverage for critical illnesses, including cancer, and discussed the growing urgency of addressing mental health conditions, which members noted are having a measurable impact on workplace productivity and employee wellbeing across both the public and private sectors. In the hospitality space, the conversation turned to the cost pressures facing operators, with members highlighting how the accumulation of utility costs, taxes, and regulatory fees is making Ghana a more expensive destination relative to regional competitors, and potentially undermining the progress made through years of international tourism promotion. Both discussions pointed toward the same conclusion: Ghana’s ability to retain visitors, workers, and investors depends not just on attracting them but on ensuring that the systems they rely on, healthcare, accommodation, infrastructure, are affordable, functional, and consistently improving.

On logistics and trade, members described a business environment in which customs procedures, valuation practices, and cross-border administrative requirements continue to add cost and delay for companies moving goods across the region. Despite Ghana’s commitments under the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, practical barriers to regional commerce remain significant, and the committee agreed that stronger customs coordination and greater transparency in trade facilitation are essential to making AfCFTA work on the ground. Looking ahead, the committee identified engagements with regulatory agencies, transport authorities, and trade facilitation institutions as priorities for the coming months, and emphasised that the most effective advocacy will be grounded in sector-specific data and evidence. Members were encouraged to contribute their documented experiences so that the committee can bring credible, well-supported positions to every policy conversation.

AmCham Ghana Health, Hospitality, Logistics, Transport and Aviation Sector Committee

AmCham Communications Office

www.amchamghana.org