Start a business in Ghana: law, taxes, wages, customs and logistics
Ghana's economy runs on gold, cocoa and oil exports, while services (telecoms, finance, trade) make up the largest share of GDP. The government is pushing local processing through programmes such as "1 District 1 Factory" and a new refined-gold policy, alongside a very active mobile-money and digital-payments ecosystem.
Generate my business plan in Ghana Common law
Ghana at a glance
| Currency | cedi ghanéen (GH₵) |
|---|---|
| Legal system | Common law |
| Time to register | Name reservation: 2 to 5 working days; full registration: 10 to 15 working days with a complete file (secondary sources; ORC online portal). |
| Cost to register | Incorporation fee of roughly GHS 230, filing fee of GHS 50, stamp duty of 0.5% of stated capital, and a GHS 100 name-reservation fee (secondary source; figures to confirm with the ORC). |
| VAT | Standard VAT rate of 15%, with a 7% levy withheld by registered withholding VAT agents (PwC). |
| Corporate income tax | 25% general corporate income tax rate (PwC), with different rates for specific sectors. |
| Minimum wage | National daily minimum wage of about GHS 18/day in 2025, equivalent to roughly GHS 472 per month. |
| Employer social contributions | SSNIT social-security contributions total 18.5% of base salary (13% employer, 5.5% employee), of which 2.5 points go to the NHIS health-insurance scheme; the Tier 2 occupational pension is included. |
Steps to register a company in Ghana
- Reserve the company name and register the company with the Registrar of Companies (ORC) through the online portal
- File the company's Regulations (constitution) and declare beneficial owners
- Obtain the certificate of incorporation and a certificate to commence business
- Register for a Tax Identification Number (TIN) with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA)
- Register for VAT (if above the threshold) and for social security (SSNIT, Tier 2/3 pension)
- Register with the GIPC for foreign investors
- Obtain municipal (Business Operating Permit) and sector-specific licences
Common legal forms
| Form | Minimum capital |
|---|---|
| LTD — Private company limited by shares | none |
| PLC — Public company | — |
| SP — Sole proprietorship | none |
| PTN — Partnership | none |
Investment code
The GIPC Act 2013 (Act 865) has been repealed and replaced by the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority Act 2026 (Act 1173), passed on 15 July 2026: the minimum-capital floor for joint ventures is removed, while the USD 500,000 floor for trading activities is kept (source: Mondaq, to be confirmed against the official text). Under the former Act 865: USD 200,000 for a joint venture with at least 10% Ghanaian participation, and USD 500,000 for a wholly foreign-owned subsidiary.
Taxation in Ghana
- General corporate income tax regime
- Simplified turnover-based regime for small businesses in trade and services below a set threshold
- Special regime for free-zone enterprises
- Withholding tax: 8% withholding tax on dividends (PwC, 2026); withholding may also apply to non-residents. Rates on interest and royalties: not verified.
- Incentives: Tax exemptions for free-zone enterprises, incentives for agro-processing (1D1F programme), and deductions for investment in less-developed areas.
Employment, wages and social contributions in Ghana
- Minimum wage: National daily minimum wage of about GHS 18/day in 2025, equivalent to roughly GHS 472 per month.
- Rough order of magnitude for a qualified employee in the urban formal sector (a manager/senior technician earns significantly more), converted at an approximate 2026 exchange rate; figures should be validated locally.
- Employer contributions: SSNIT social-security contributions total 18.5% of base salary (13% employer, 5.5% employee), of which 2.5 points go to the NHIS health-insurance scheme; the Tier 2 occupational pension is included.
- The labour market is largely informal: hiring without a contract or registration is common but exposes employers to labour-inspection checks and SSNIT back-payment claims. A gradual formalisation path is recommended: registered internships/apprenticeships, then declared fixed-term contracts, then permanent contracts under a simplified tax regime.
Customs and trade in Ghana
Export and import licensing or quotas may apply to selected raw materials (unprocessed timber, unrefined gold depending on policy), together with sanitary and quality standards.
- ECOWAS (free movement of goods and Common External Tariff)
- AfCFTA (Secretariat headquartered in Accra)
- Interim EU Economic Partnership Agreement in force
- AGOA: reauthorised through 31 December 2026 (2026 finance act); country eligibility set by the annual USTR list
- Various bilateral agreements
Logistics in Ghana
Tema — The country's leading port, with a modernised container terminal and a regional hub role.
Takoradi — Mining and oil port in the west of the country.
Corridor Tema–Ouagadougou corridor — Sea access route for the landlocked Alliance of Sahel States countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger).
Corridor Abidjan–Lagos corridor — Coastal ECOWAS trade corridor running through Ghana.
Customs clearance runs through the GCNet single-window platform; clearance times remain longer than at the best-performing ports — see the World Bank's logistics performance indicators for benchmarks.
Financing in Ghana
- Central bank: Bank of Ghana, a member central bank of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ).
- Banking system: About twenty universal banks operate in a sector that stabilised after the 2017-2019 reforms. Bank lending rates are high, typically in the 25-30% range depending on the period.
- Exchange regime: Floating exchange-rate regime for the cedi; the currency is convertible and freely usable for current transactions, with profit repatriation allowed through licensed banks subject to GIPC notification. Periods of foreign-exchange market stress have affected currency availability.
- Stock exchange: Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE), a modest-sized exchange based in Accra.
- Mobile money: MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AirtelTigo Money (AT Money), G-Money
Key sectors in Ghana
- Gold mining — Africa's leading gold producer; new refinery capacity and local-purchase policy under development.
- Cocoa and processing — Major exporter of cocoa beans, with COCOBOD driving efforts to move up the value chain.
- Oil and gas — Offshore production and supporting gas infrastructure.
- Financial services and mobile money — GhIPSS interoperability and very wide mobile-money adoption.
- Agro-industry — The 1D1F programme is building processing factories nationwide.
- Digital and BPO services — An English-speaking hub for start-ups and outsourced services.
Local institutions in Ghana
- Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MOTAI) — Accra. Government ministry overseeing trade, industry and agribusiness policy. moti.gov.gh
- Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) — Accra. Registers foreign investors and administers investment incentives (successor body GIPA in progress). gipc.gov.gh
- Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) — Accra. Companies register: name reservation, incorporation and online filings. orc.gov.gh
- Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) — Accra. Tax and customs administration; publishes tax guides and rate schedules. gra.gov.gh
- Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) — Accra. Basic pension scheme: employer registration and contributions. ssnit.org.gh
- Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) — Accra. National chamber of commerce and business network. ghanachamber.org
- Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) — Accra. Official national statistics: reports and statistical databases. statsghana.gov.gh
- Bank of Ghana (BoG) — Accra. Central bank: monetary policy and financial statistics. bog.gov.gh
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to set up a company in Ghana?
Name reservation typically takes 2 to 5 working days, and full registration with the Registrar of Companies (ORC) around 10 to 15 working days when the file is complete.
How much does it cost to register a company in Ghana?
Expect roughly GHS 230 in incorporation fees, GHS 50 in filing fees, a 0.5% stamp duty on stated capital, and a GHS 100 name-reservation fee (secondary source, to confirm with the ORC).
What is the VAT rate in Ghana?
The standard VAT rate is 15%, with an additional 7% levy withheld by registered withholding-VAT agents.
What is the corporate income tax rate in Ghana?
The general corporate income tax rate is 25%, though some sectors are subject to different rates.
What is the minimum wage in Ghana?
The national daily minimum wage was about GHS 18/day in 2025, equivalent to roughly GHS 472 per month.
Is Ghana a common law or civil law country?
Ghana operates under common law of British origin. It is not a member of the OHADA system used in French-speaking West Africa.
What is Ghana's currency?
The Ghanaian cedi (GHS), which floats freely; it has experienced periods of depreciation linked to inflation and debt restructuring (2023-2025 IMF programme).
What are Ghana's main ports?
Tema is the country's leading and most modern container port; Takoradi in the west serves the mining and oil sectors.
Sources
- Bank of Ghana (2025)
- GIPC – investir au Ghana (2025)
- Ghana Revenue Authority (2025)
- Office of the Registrar of Companies (2025)
- Ghana Statistical Service (2025)
- Ministry of Trade (2025)
- ZLECAf – secrétariat (2025)
- Banque mondiale – données par pays (2025)
- PwC – Ghana, impôt sur les sociétés (2026)
- Mondaq – GIPA Act 2026 (Act 1173) (2026)
- Ghana Business Regulatory Reform – textes de loi (2026)
- USTR – liste des pays éligibles à l'AGOA (2026)