The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Exim Bank Ghana, Mr Sylvester Mensah, has appealed to China to partner with Ghana’s development banks to provide critical funding aimed at accelerating the country’s industrialisation agenda.
He said China could co-fund the development banks in Ghana and provide credit lines to them to build their financial capacity lend to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
Speaking at the second day of the Ghana China Business Summit 2025 in Accra on Tuesday, Mr Mensah emphasised the need for strategic financial collaboration to empower local industries, particularly SMEs, which form the backbone of Ghana’s economy.
The five-day programme which ended on Friday was organised by SINO-Africa Group, the Government of Ghana and Perfect World Company Limited.
It was attended by about 120 investors and delegates to explore investment opportunities in the country and deepen the trade and bilateral relationship between Ghana and China.
“Without resilient and competitive SMEs, our goals of export diversification, value addition, and regional trade integration will remain out of reach,”Mr Mensah stated.
He said SMEs in the country faced difficulties in accessing affordable financing, describing it as a major hurdle to industrial growth.
“This is not merely a challenge; it is an opportunity for innovative financing solutions, inclusive financial partnerships, and forward-looking institutions to rise to the occasion,” he said.
He called for technology transfer and joint ventures to enhance local processing, packaging, and manufacturing capabilities.
“We welcome partnerships with Chinese financial institutions, state-owned enterprises, and private investors to integrate Ghanaian products into Chinese and global supply chains,” he said.
The Exim Bank Ghana CEO said the government’s economic transformation policies, such as the government’s Big Push Agenda and the 24-Hour Economic Policy, were aimed to position SMEs as engines of job creation and industrial transformation.
“Our mandate is to support Ghana’s transition into an export-led economy, and SMEs are central to this vision,” Mensah noted. He cited Exim Bank’s existing efforts in financing and strengthening SMEs, adding that partnerships with institutions like China would significantly amplify these efforts.
Mr Mensah expressed the hope the summit would come out with actionable outcomes, and urged the participants to move beyond discussions and forge tangible partnerships.
“The highlight of this summit is not just our conversations here today, but how we network, engage, and develop bankable projects that can be co-financed or equity-backed,” he said.
He expressed optimism about the potential for collaboration, given the presence of over 70 top Chinese companies and key Ghanaian investors at the event.
Mr Mensah reiterated Exim Bank Ghana’s commitment to enabling SMEs to thrive not only as producers but as exporters, and not just as survivors but as innovators.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
