Ghana’s plans to build a competitive investment environment and a 24-hour economy depend on faster commercial dispute resolution and clearer business regulations, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has said.
Speaking at the maiden Annual Bar Conference of the Ghana Law Society on September 30, Dr Debrah warned that regulatory uncertainty and delays in enforcing contracts increase risks for businesses and could undermine investment.
“Ghana’s ambition to become a competitive investment and a 24-hour economy requires laws that keep pace with modern commerce,” he said.
“We need faster resolution of commercial disputes, clear land administration, predictable licensing, and regular review of obsolete legislation.”
Dr Debrah said legal reform should be regarded as part of Ghana’s economic policy, rather than being treated solely as a matter for lawyers and the courts.
“A business will hesitate to invest where contracts cannot be enforced within a reasonable time,” he said.
He argued that slow justice, weak contract enforcement and uncertainty over regulations could discourage investment and limit economic growth. Businesses, he added, needed a legal system capable of providing certainty and resolving disputes within a reasonable time.
“Legal reform is an economic policy as well,” he said.
Uncertainty over land ownership was another concern raised by the Chief of Staff. He said unclear ownership arrangements could affect both farmers and investors, while insufficiently defined rules in emerging sectors could restrict innovation.
He referred specifically to data, digital assets and artificial intelligence as areas where regulation was developing and where a lack of clarity could harm economic activity.
“A young innovator cannot build responsibly where the rules governing data, digital assets, and artificial intelligence are unclear,” he said.
Dr Debrah also proposed that new regulations should be examined for their economic cost, their effect on individual rights and whether they could be enforced in practice.
He said the country’s economic ambitions required regular reviews of obsolete legislation, alongside predictable licensing systems and more effective land administration.
“Efficient law lowers risk, protects rights, and gives enterprises room to grow,” he said.
The Chief of Staff maintained that Ghana could not separate legal reform from its efforts to expand investment and establish a 24-hour economy. In his view, the effectiveness and clarity of the legal framework would be central to giving businesses the confidence to invest and operate.
