The second edition of the economic dialogue series organised by the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), with support from Citi TV and Citi FM came off on July 6, 2021, in Accra.
The dialogue focused on the establishment of the Development Bank Ghana (DBG) and was themed: “The Development Bank as a Catalyst for Long-Term Finance for SMEs”.
Speakers for the event which included Dr. Emmanuel Debrah, a renowned finance lecturer, Ms. Abena Amoah, Deputy MD of the Ghana Stock Exchange, Awura Abena Agyeman of Wear Ghana, and Sampson Akligoh, Director Financial Sector Division, Ministry of Finance, took turns to give opinions on the yet to be established bank.
After the event, the Research and Consultancy Centre (RCC) of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) issued a policy brief on the dialogue.
The policy brief contains concerns raised about the bank at the event, and recommendations made to ensure that the bank succeeds.
Apart from asking that the bank should be well capitalised before it takes off, UPSA’s Research and Consultancy Centre also called for more education of citizens and MSMEs about DBG and its functions.
Although UPSA’s research arm believes the yet-to-be-established bank has huge potential, it said: “There is a need for government to ensure that there is wide stakeholder involvement in the setting up process. Recruitment of staff of the DBG should be competitive and based on merit”.