IFC and SECO Launch Corporate Governance Program to Strengthen Ghanaian Businesses

Accra, Ghana. April 8, 2015 IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Switzerland, today launched the Africa Corporate Governance Program for Ghana to help strengthen businesses and boost economic growth in the country.

IFCs Africa Corporate Governance Program improves the performance of businesses by helping them adopt good corporate governance practices and standards that are adapted to regional priorities. Improved corporate governance helps businesses attract and retain investment, among other benefits.

Speaking on behalf of SECO, His Excellency Gerhard Brügger, the Ambassador of Switzerland to Ghana, said, 'SECO is committed to promoting sustainable growth and reducing poverty and inequality by inducing favorable conditions for new and productive job creation. We are working with IFC, our strategic partner in Africa, to achieve this goal by instituting robust corporate governance systems among Ghana businesses, thereby contributing to Ghanas economic growth.

Ronke Ogunsulire, IFC Country Manager for Ghana, said, Good corporate governance policies and practices help businesses lower their capital costs, and become competitive, profitable, and attractive for investors. Partnering with SECO, IFC will help Ghanaian businesses develop and implement good governance policies to improve their operational efficiency, create more jobs in Ghana and grow the economy in the long-term.

IFC and SECO launched the program at an event attended by Ghanaian regulators including representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, business leaders, and training institutions. Speakers, including representatives of Bank of Ghana,Mr. Millison Narh, 1st Deputy Governor, Bank of Ghana, and Securities and Exchange Commission of Ghana, Dr. Adu Anane Antwi, Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission, noted the need for businesses to adopt and apply sound corporate governance policies and processes to improve their productivity.

The Africa Corporate Governance Program is funded by SECO, Switzerlandand IFC is the implementing partner for the program.

About SECO
SECO is Switzerlands competence center for all core issues relating to economic policy. SECOs economic development cooperation strives to achieve sustainable growth. Such growth is sustainable if it creates jobs, helps to increase productivity, to reduce poverty, inequalities and global risks. For more information, visit www.seco-cooperation.ch.

About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private enterprises in about 100 countries, we use our capital, expertise, and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. In FY14, we provided more than $22 billion in financing to improve lives in developing countries and tackle the most urgent challenges of development. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.