Gov’t of Ghana to Pay GH₵400M Investor Bailout But Many will still not be Covered

The Ghana government will disburse the final GH₵400 million of a GH₵1.5 billion bailout, compensating some investors affected by the 2019 financial sector cleanup.

The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Finance, is set to disburse the final tranche of GH₵400 million this December, marking the completion of the GH₵1.5 billion bailout programme aimed at compensating investors affected by the revocation of licenses of fund management companies in November 2019. This will however not be enough to cover all outstanding payments of people affected by the financial sector cleanup exercise.

This disbursement comes after the release of GH₵700 million in August 2024 and another GH₵400 million in October 2024, as part of the government’s phased effort to provide financial relief to individuals whose investments were locked in the failed companies.

The bailout programme, managed through the Amalgamated Mutual Fund (AM Fund) under GCB Capital Limited, is expected to settle outstanding claims and provide closure to the affected investors.

The December payout will push the total bailout funds disbursed to GH₵5.96 billion, covering claims for 84,202 investors, out of which 69,445 (approximately 82%) have been fully settled. Under the current arrangement, investors will receive the higher of GH₵50,000 or 15% of their outstanding claims, a move expected to increase the fully settled claims to 91% of all affected investors.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which oversees the programme emphasized that this initiative reflects the government’s commitment to protecting investor confidence and maintaining stability in Ghana’s financial sector.

Investors affected include those from firms like Blackshield Capital Management Limited (formerly Gold Coast Fund Management Limited) and Kron Capital Limited, among others. Customers of several non-bank financial institutions affected by the cleanup will not be captured in this latest bailout.

The AM Fund has been instrumental in facilitating the bailout, providing investors with options to either access their funds or leave them in the AM Fund for professional management.

The SEC, established under the Securities Industry Act, 2016 (Act 929) and amended by the Securities Industry (Amendment) 2021 (Act 1062), has reiterated its commitment to ensuring a transparent and efficient securities market.

The bailout programme is a critical part of its efforts to restore confidence in the financial system after the disruptions caused by the 2019 financial sector cleanup.

Last Updated on February 14, 2025 by samboad