Business
ThirdWell launches Inclusive Business Centre to support Accredited Inclusive Businesses in Ghana
ThirdWell Inclusive Business Centre (IBC) has been officially launched in Accra. The official launch held at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel and unveiled by Rev. Nii Okai Okai supported by representatives from Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs (GCYE); Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), and ThirdWell Commodities; signals a renewed push to position inclusive business as a central pillar in Ghana’s quest for sustainable economic transformation.
The official launch brought together key stakeholders, including business leaders, investors, development partners, corporate institutions, academic bodies, and members of the media. The event marked an important milestone in Ghana’s journey toward building a more inclusive and sustainable economic system.
The ThirdWell Inclusive Business Centre (IBC) is a private not-for-profit organization established to empower inclusive businesses by promoting investment and partnerships that enhances their capacity to scale sustainable impact and drive systemic change in the economy. Describing IBC as a one-stop resource hub, the Founder and Chairman of the Centre, Mr. Osah Thompson-Mensah said IBC would provide strategic advisory services, corporate governance guidance and coordinated access to professional support for accredited inclusive businesses.
He further explained that ThirdWell Inclusive Business Centre was established to address the major challenges faced by many inclusive businesses and SMEs, particularly in strategic management, access to financing, and building strong partnerships. “The challenge has always been the lack of coordinated systems and accessible business services to help inclusive businesses grow and scale their impact. The Inclusive Business Centre serves as a One-Stop Resource Centre where businesses can access affordable strategy and business services to strengthen their operations and improve their readiness for investment and partnerships.”
Inclusive businesses are private sector businesses or business lines that generate profits by providing goods, services, and livelihood opportunities to people at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) (low-income populations) on a commercially viable basis, making them a part of the company’s value chain as customers, suppliers, distributors, or employees. Inclusive businesses create innovative and affordable solutions for the needs of low-income groups and communities, turning underserved populations into active suppliers, consumers, and distributors; while also benefiting the businesses by creating new markets and products. Investments into and partnerships with inclusive businesses thus create positive systemic change for BoPs, communities and society.
Inclusive Businesses in Ghana are officially accredited by the Inclusive Business Accreditation Committee comprising AGI, MOTAI, MoFA, MESTI, GEA, GCYE, SEGh, CAG, after independent assessment by at least three (3) certified inclusive businesses consultants using a composite rating tool involving 47 criteria and 186 benchmarks. Mr Thompson-Mensah highlighted the progress made under the Inclusive Business Initiative in Ghana, revealing that 27 companies have already been officially accredited as inclusive businesses in 2024 and 2025. These businesses have generated a combined revenue of GH¢1.18 billion while impacting over 2.25 million people, demonstrating the powerful role inclusive businesses can play in driving economic and social transformation. He further acknowledged support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), which sponsored groundwork for the inclusive business landscape study and institutionalization in Ghana, noting that sustaining the initiative now rests with Ghanaians.
Speaking at the launch, Osah Thompson-Mensah called for inclusive business to become the foundation of Ghana’s economic development strategy, describing it as the country’s most sustainable pathway to reducing poverty and improving living standards of low income groups and communities in Ghana. According to Mr. Osah Thompson-Mensah, Ghana lacks a long-term development ideology, despite the regular production of political party manifestos every four years. “We have manifestos, but we do not have a clear national development ideology or strategy,” he said, arguing that inclusive business and impact-drives-return ideology should underpin Ghana’s economic development strategy and framework. He further stressed that expanding inclusive business practices would significantly deepen social and economic impact.
Mr. Osah Thompson-Mensah noted that when citizens are economically empowered, they demand more goods and services, which stimulates production, drives factory expansion and boosts exports. Drawing parallels with developed nations, he expressed optimism that Ghana could achieve similar progress by embedding inclusive business principles into its long-term planning. He stressed that expanding inclusive business practices would significantly deepen social and economic impact, stating further that “More inclusive business means more impact,”
Mr Osah Thompson- Mensah also disclosed IBC’s intention to engage with the Ghana Stock Exchange to explore how listing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could address succession planning challenges and strengthen corporate governance. He observed that many Ghanaian businesses collapse after founders exit due to weak structures and overreliance on family succession. “When you list, you open yourself up not just to funding but to quality management and stronger corporate systems,” he said, adding that standards should not be lowered but processes can be rethought to maintain integrity while improving access.
Also speaking at the launch, Mr. Sherif Ghali, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs, and also chairman of the event, called for inclusive business to be elevated to a national agenda. He highlighted the reality of poverty among many Ghanaians, particularly those earning below GH₵2,000, and urged companies to align profit-making with social inclusion.
“Until low-income individuals are integrated into value chains, businesses will continue to get richer while many people remain poor,” he said.
Mr. Ghali pledged support for the Centre and encouraged businesses, institutions and government to back the initiative, stressing that poverty reduction requires collective effort.
Investor demand for Ghana’s Treasury bills surged last week, with the latest primary market auction attracting bids worth GH¢10.03 billion—almost double the government’s fundraising target of GH¢5.67 billion.
Results released by the Bank of Ghana show that the auction was oversubscribed by 77%, reflecting strong investor demand for short-term government securities and renewed confidence in the domestic debt market.
The Treasury accepted GH¢7.38 billion of the total bids, exceeding its financing target by GH¢1.71 billion after taking up a larger share of investor subscriptions.
The 364-day Treasury bill remained the most sought-after instrument, attracting GH¢5.65 billion in bids. The government accepted GH¢4.53 billion of that amount, making it the largest contributor to the funds raised during the auction.
The benchmark 91-day Treasury bill recorded bids of GH¢2.98 billion, with GH¢1.80 billion accepted, while the 182-day bill received GH¢1.40 billion in subscriptions, of which GH¢1.06 billion was accepted.
Yields were mixed across the three tenors. The 91-day bill eased slightly by one basis point to 5.86% from 5.87% at the previous auction, while the 182-day bill remained unchanged at 7.79%. The yield on the 364-day bill, however, climbed seven basis points to 12.99% from 12.92%, indicating continued investor preference for higher returns on longer-term government securities.
The latest auction represents a significant turnaround from the previous sale, which attracted just GH¢4.16 billion in bids. The sharp rise in subscriptions signals growing investor confidence in Treasury bills despite the prevailing interest rate environment.
Looking ahead, the government is targeting GH¢7.36 billion in its next Treasury bill sale under Tender 2016 to finance its short-term borrowing requirements.
Thousands of traders at the Odawna Market in Accra have been left devastated after a massive fire tore through the market on Monday, June 29, 2026, destroying an estimated 3,000 shops.
The blaze, which ripped through one of the capital’s busiest trading hubs, reduced businesses and valuable goods to ashes, leaving many traders with nothing to salvage.
Speaking to Maurice Otoo of kpdonline after the incident, the leader of the Plastic Traders Association, George Ohene Agyei, revealed that the market has about 4,250 shops, with nearly 3,000 of them completely destroyed by the inferno.
He praised President John Dramani Mahama for his swift response and assurance to reconstruct the market to help affected traders get back on their feet.
The association’s head also appealed to civil society organisations, philanthropists, corporate institutions, and the general public to support victims, stressing that many traders financed their businesses through loans and have now lost their only source of livelihood.
As investigations into the cause of the fire continue, affected traders remain hopeful that government and well-meaning Ghanaians will provide the support needed to rebuild their businesses and restore livelihoods.
By Maurice Otoo
Business
GoldBod Purchases Over 135 Tonnes of Gold, Contributes to Cedi Stability and Reserve Growth
The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) purchased a total of 135.843 tonnes of gold between January 2025 and May 2026, with approximately 98 per cent sourced from the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, Deputy Minister of Finance Thomas Nyarko Ampem has disclosed.
Addressing Parliament, Mr Ampem stated that 135.221 tonnes of the total volume were acquired from the ASM sector, while the remainder came from large-scale mining companies.
According to the Deputy Minister, GoldBod purchased, aggregated and exported 104 tonnes of ASM gold in 2025 alone, generating more than US$10 billion in revenue for the country.
He noted that GoldBod’s operations played a significant role in strengthening Ghana’s economy, contributing to a 41 per cent appreciation of the Ghana cedi in 2025 and boosting the country’s foreign reserves from US$8.98 billion in December 2024 to US$13.8 billion by the end of 2025.
Mr Ampem made the disclosure while responding to questions from the Member of Parliament for Oforikrom, Michael Kwesi Addo, on the quantity of gold purchased by GoldBod, its sources of supply, and expenditure on gold purchases.
The Deputy Minister revealed that GoldBod spent approximately US$16.1 billion on gold purchases between January 2025 and May 2026, with US$9.8 billion of that amount expended during the 2025 calendar year.
He explained that the government’s objective was to transform Ghana’s gold sector by reducing smuggling, formalising trade and ensuring that more value from the country’s gold resources remains within the national economy.
“Through GoldBod, gold is transparently aggregated, assayed, refined and exported, generating foreign exchange and strengthening the country’s reserves with tangible benefits for Ghanaians,” he stated.
Mr Ampem said GoldBod had intensified collaboration with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to tackle illegal mining activities and improve regulatory compliance within the sector.
He further described GoldBod as a key pillar of Ghana’s macroeconomic recovery strategy, aimed at mobilising foreign exchange and curbing gold smuggling.
Citing reports, including those from Reuters, the Deputy Minister said Ghana lost an estimated US$11.4 billion through gold smuggling between 2019 and 2023, adding that GoldBod’s interventions were helping to reverse the trend.
On licensing, Mr Ampem informed Parliament that as of May 31, 2026, GoldBod had licensed 1,184 gold buyers under its regulatory framework. These comprise two aggregators, 67 self-financing aggregators, 736 Tier Two buyers and 379 Tier One buyers.
He explained that all licensed buyers are required to purchase gold exclusively from licensed miners for onward sale to GoldBod.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister disclosed that the Ministry of Finance made its latest payment of GH¢100 million to the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) on June 3, 2026. Combined with earlier transfers made between January and May, total payments to the fund this year amount to GH¢402.4 million.
On cocoa financing, Mr Ampem assured Parliament that government reforms would address recurring payment delays to Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs). He said a new domestic financing model would ensure adequate liquidity for cocoa purchases throughout the year.
He also revealed that a new COCOBOD Bill to be presented to Parliament would prohibit the use of COCOBOD funds for quasi-fiscal activities, which he said had weakened the institution’s finances and affected its ability to meet core obligations.
According to him, excessive borrowing and reliance on costly domestic financing instruments under previous management contributed to COCOBOD’s debt challenges, culminating in defaults on cocoa bill repayments in 2023.
Mr Ampem expressed confidence that the proposed reforms and stricter financial discipline would help eliminate persistent delays in payments to Licensed Buying Companies.
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