By Adnan Adams Mohammed<\/p>\n
Ghana has sent a clear and defiant message to the international financial community: the nation\u2019s battle against illicit financial flows is not just a regulatory hurdle, but a “firm and irreversible” national priority.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the high-stakes opening of the on-site Mutual Evaluation of Ghana\u2019s Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorist Financing, and Counter-Proliferation Financing (AML\/CFT\/CPF) regime in Accra, Deputy Minister for Finance, Hon. Thomas Ampem Nyarko, declared that the country has moved beyond mere theory to a “path of reform, realism, and results.”<\/p>\n
While these evaluations are often viewed as technical obligations to global bodies like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and GIABA, Hon. Nyarko was quick to pivot the narrative toward Ghana\u2019s own sovereignty and economic health.<\/p>\n
\u201cGhana\u2019s commitment to combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing is unwavering,\u201d the Deputy Minister stated. \u201cIt is a commitment rooted not only in international standards but also in our national interest and our responsibility to future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
He emphasized that safeguarding the financial system is the bedrock of preserving investor confidence and protecting the broader economy from the corrosive effects of organized crime.<\/p>\n
From Regulation to Results <\/strong><\/p>\n The Deputy Minister highlighted that Ghana no longer treats the National Risk Assessment (NRA) as a “shelf document.” Instead, it has been used as a diagnostic tool to drive aggressive reforms across sectors\u2014most notably in the extractive industry and the burgeoning virtual assets space.<\/p>\n Key pillars of Ghana\u2019s current strategy include:<\/p>\n \u25cf Strengthened Coordination: High-level oversight through the Inter-Ministerial Committee on AML\/CFT.<\/p>\n \u25cf Actionable Intelligence: Deepened collaboration between law enforcement, regulators, and the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).<\/p>\n \u25cf Focus on Convictions: A shift toward measurable outcomes, including successful investigations, prosecutions, and crucially asset recovery.<\/p>\n A Partnership for Progress <\/strong><\/p>\n Addressing the team of international evaluators, Hon. Nyarko described the mission not as an interrogation to be feared, but as a “constructive partnership.” He assured the team that they would encounter a transparent system and institutions that are fully prepared to demonstrate their effectiveness.<\/p>\n \u201cAs evaluators engage Ghana\u2019s institutions in the days ahead, they will encounter systems that are transparent, institutions that are prepared, and a country determined to deepen reforms,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The High Stakes of 2026 <\/strong><\/p>\n The timing of this evaluation is critical. Following Ghana\u2019s successful exit from the FATF “grey list” in 2021, the government is determined to avoid a relapse. The potential costs of failure\u2014including higher borrowing rates, reduced foreign investment, and reputational damage\u2014are risks the government says it is unwilling to take.<\/p>\n As the evaluation process unfolds this week, the message from the Ministry of Finance remains resolute: Ghana\u2019s stance on financial crime is “firm, enduring, and non-negotiable.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Adnan Adams Mohammed Ghana has sent a clear and defiant message to the international financial community: the nation\u2019s battle against illicit financial flows is not just a regulatory hurdle, but a “firm and irreversible” national priority. Speaking at the high-stakes opening of the on-site Mutual Evaluation of Ghana\u2019s Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorist Financing, and Counter-Proliferation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10822,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[2991,2623,2990,2731,2989,2449],"class_list":{"0":"post-10805","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-economy-and-finance","8":"tag-and-counter-proliferation-financing-aml-cft-cpf","9":"tag-anti-money-laundering","10":"tag-counter-terrorist-financing","11":"tag-financial-action-task-force-fatf","12":"tag-giaba","13":"tag-thomas-ampem-nyarko"},"yoast_head":"\n