Dr. Nii Moi Thompson( 1st from right)
The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) are set to collaborate more closely to strengthen the Exchange’s role in Ghana’s economic development, according to the Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Nii Moi Thompson.
Dr. Thompson, who also serves as Senior Advisor to President John Mahama on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), made the remarks during a courtesy call on the Managing Director of the Exchange, Ms. Abena Amoah, in Accra.
He noted that beyond enabling private investors to mobilise billions of cedis for businesses and infrastructure, deepening and expanding the Exchange’s activities would give Ghanaians a stronger stake in the economy through ownership in local companies.
“Currently, we remain tenants on our own land, as the largest and most lucrative parts of the economy are dominated by non-Ghanaians,” Dr. Thompson observed.
He emphasised that while foreign investors should be encouraged to partner Ghanaians, policy should also drive the transfer of world-class technology and management practices to strengthen the local private sector.
Dr. Thompson disclosed that the NDPC has begun a research programme on Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (FIRE) to better understand their potential in stimulating national development and to guide government policy in these sectors.
For her part, Ms. Amoah, accompanied by the Exchange’s Head of Strategy, Mrs. Diane Okine, stressed the crucial role of capital markets in mobilising private finance for economic growth, including infrastructure.
She noted that the lack of well-structured investment opportunities in Ghana has forced many citizens to channel billions of dollars annually into foreign investment schemes.
She pledged to support the NDPC’s policy research agenda with relevant data and to involve the Commission in the Exchange’s programmes to deepen collaboration.
