Abronye DC Granted GH¢100K Bail by Accra High Court || JoyNews Desk (21-5-26)

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:01]story. An Acra high court has granted a 100,000 Ghana city bill to Abrona DC.

[00:00:07]The court has also asked him to submit his travel documents. Um our colleague Fatal Biaga is on the ground and joins us. Fatal Fatal, can you hear me?

[00:00:22]Okay. So, I'm handing over to my colleague Fatal Baya at the courts now.

[00:00:27]>> The Acra High Court. you were in court just in Kodong. What's your reaction to the decision? So, so we'll get a a reaction from the MP in relation to this particular decision taken by the Acra High Court that we're here today. It's it'sicular based on the plea on from the attorney general that they needed to study the records. The court oblied to it and set today for the bay application to be heard. Indeed, the councils forwame baff moved the application and the attorney general opposed to the to the application which for us we felt that it could have been done yesterday because if they was going to go and come back and say that they have no objection to the application, why didn't they do it yesterday? By be as it may, the court has granted the B application subject to some condition that the court has set which should not be a problem for the accused.

[00:02:00]So we are happy that at least justice has been served and we have been very consistent from day one that this is the case of misdemeanor which a bill should have should not have been an issue at all at the circuit court but as the tri judge at the circuit court did which we had to come back to the high court. Indeed, we find the conduct of the tri judge as unacceptable in some extent a misconduct and it's not something that we are going to just let go. We are filing a petition to the chief justice for justice in Kuson to be removed from the case of the republic versus Abra because we believe that he has taken stand in the case and he cannot be a judge in his own case and therefore justice will be well served when the case is given to a different judge to look into the matter.

[00:02:59]>> So that's what happened today. How many did you read into the attorney general's decision yesterday in the case of misde issue it's not even an even conviction in the case of misdeina there's a cited authority it is to the effect that the person need not to be in prison but may be subjected to a fine.

[00:03:35]So if even in conviction the person will be subjected to a fine. Why did you remind the person? Why did you remind the person but at least we are happy that justice have been served and that's what we expect. That is what we expect.

[00:03:49]>> You said you are going to petition the chief justice. When do you intend to do that?

[00:03:51]>> Yeah we are going to do it tomorrow.

[00:03:53]any patriot party will file a petition against the circuit court n for misconduct the judge for circuit court n for misconduct. Thank you very much.

[00:04:03]>> So that is the general secretary of the new patriotic party Justin Kafong talking to us uh this morning in relation to the decision taken by the Acra High Court uh general jurisdiction division granting bill to uh Abraa DC.

[00:04:19]In fact, yesterday they were in court and basically the prosecution said they needed time uh to be able to go through the motion, the application and get to appreciate it better and properly uh respond uh respond to to it. Uh today they came to court moved the motion. The prosecution never opposed to that. The just the deputy attorney general himself G I mean justice was in court. he stood up and said that they are not going to oppose to the motion moved uh by the uh applicants and today the MPP clearly said that they're happy uh that this decision has been made. In fact, they said that you know bill application or bills will not be used as a punishment for uh people in this uh particular instance. Let me try to get more reaction in relation to uh this particular decision by the uh Acra High Court general jurisdiction division uh this morning in relation to uh controversial politician Abbron uh is uh released based on what we have now. Abra is going to be out of uh you know custody. In fact, according to the court, he's going to pay a sum of 100,000 Ghana cities with two sorities.

[00:05:35]His report to the police um C once every week. He's going to deposit his travel documents at the registry of the court and also uh he's not supposed to travel outside without the express um permission of the court. Let me get a reaction from former attorney general uh just to get his reaction related to this particular decision. General, I mean you were in court. In fact, you are part of the lawyers. What's your reaction to this particular decision by the court?

[00:06:00]>> I think it's not it's something that should not even have occurred at all in the first place because as I was trying to indicate in court in matters like this bill ought not to be can't refuse at all because even after conviction bill ought not to be denied and based upon the decision of of the court. I mean even upon conviction there ought not to be a detention of of the person.

[00:06:21]There ought to be only sentenced to a fine and if sentence to a fine is what ordinarily ought to apply then clearly it becomes improper that a person upon arraignment before the court should be um detained for about 2 weeks and in this case he has already spent 9 days and eight nights and that for me is very very unhealthy for our democracy.

[00:06:43]>> General this is not the first time that we are witnessing such a thing. What do you think should be done? In fact you were the former attorney general. What do you think should be done generally in order to address this particular challenge?

[00:06:53]>> Clearly, I mean you see that in the case of Abu even the fact did not even fit the crime. I felt that the the facts before which is arraigned before the court clearly did not even warrant the institution of criminal proceedings. You see if you examine the charit carefully you notice that the complaint of the police was about the derogatory nature of the wuse. If about derogatory nature or abusive nature of wives and a cause of action lies in the civil realm for defamation it ought not to be a basis for the initial criminal proceedings. I think there's been a gross abuse of section 207 and 208 by this government and it's all because they just want to m people and prevent a free expression of views and all and that for me is very very apprehensible and all right thinking members of society ought to really speak against it and the government ought to put a stop to it >> otherwise against our democracy. Is it is it your view that whatever is happening to because of him as a person seeing that I mean he's been in and out of the man it's cailed it's unarely cailed and I think that is unhealthy for our democracy as I said yes no matter the expression of views no matter how reprehensible those views are to you or offensive that they seem to you. It is only when they occasion a breach of the peace or they decide a public peace that a person may be arraigned under section 207 and 208. So you want to examine the facts of the case abused before the court clearly and you see that there was absolutely no breach to the peace whatsoever alleged by the by the police and that's very very material. If there's no breach to the peace then it tells that the arraignment of Abra was improper clearly and he's been forcly imprisoned all this while. Thank you very much. Let's also get a word from the uh kuma basically just to get his reaction to this particular decision by the court. You are a member of parliament. In fact, you are a lawyer uh in relation to this particular case.

[00:08:55]This issue of you know remanding people into custody and all of that is something that has been happening over the years. What do you think should change generally in order to address this challenge? I mean we are respectfully of the view that sections 207 and 208 are being abused by the state currently. In the last about 16 months about 16 people have been arrested and charged under 207208 and it's all part of uh an exercise which we believe is aimed at suppressing free speech and we very much disagree with that. You've heard our leadership call it out and we reiterate that in this specific matter as has been uh argued over and over again is a misdemeanor and even if he's convicted on the substantive uh offense um today there's authority that says that what is the appropriate thing to do is to uh you know subject him to a fine. So then why would the circuit court deny him bail in the first place? We came here yesterday.

[00:09:52]we had to wait for about 24 hours and the application was not even opposed at the end of the day. So we think that going forward is important uh for the state to pull back on this abuse of 207 and 208 over the period you've advanced arguments that this is a political sponsored harassment. What makes you to think that Abbrun is being politically harassed by the NDC? Because the this judiciary independent institution see openly at a press conference that they have the IP addresses of people and that if people make comments that they consider as misinformation, uh they will use your IP addresses to come for you.

[00:10:35]I'm sure you recall that your reporters covered that press conference. That was the beginning. That was the signal that was given to the um you know security and uh justice system to use 207 and 208 as an instrument for the purposes of the executive and that is what you are beginning to see and that's what we are speaking against.

[00:10:56]>> Before before I let you go, some of your communicators have made comments like it will make the government or the country ungovernable among other things. Don't you think that that would raise political tension across the country particularly among your supporters? What would you tell them in this regard?

[00:11:11]>> The tension is high already. I think yesterday you saw the peace council issue a statement that acknowledged that the tension is high. Why is the tension high? The tension is high because every well-meaning member of the Ghanaian society can see that the government of the day is using sections 207 and 208 to suppress dissenting views. That is what is raising the tensions because there have been many other instances in which very senior people on the NDC side including the current president himself made comments about the judiciary and you didn't see 27 two uh 207208 being applied in this manner. It is those things that are heightening the tension and it is that tension that I think the peace council is calling on the authorities to try to re in putting a stop to this practice that they are embarking upon.

[00:11:56]>> Thank you very much. Uh former information minister, former works and housing And there you heard from my colleague Fatal Bayaga Brona DC has been granted 100,000 CD bill with two charities and you can see the NPB and also his legal team um rejoicing over this victory.

[00:12:36]They say that it's a it's a victory for them and that they are happy that justice has been served. Now moving on um the member of me members of parliament from today uh will deliberate on major bills and policy reforms of of course across key sectors of the economy. Parliament resume sitting today marking the beginning of the second meeting of the second session of the 9th parliament of the fourth republic. MPs will also consider their maritime and related offenses bill after the committee on transport submits its report for the second reading. We know that reports on the road traffic regulations and bilateral air services agreements between Ghana and countries such as Luxembourg, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are also expected before the house. We'll later engage our colleague Quu Asantia, parliamentary affairs correspondent.

[00:13:31]But join News who will later today host the youth climate reporters national dialogue. A live national broadcast aimed at placing youth voices at the center of Ghana's climate conversation.

[00:13:43]The event will take place at Silicon House Tessano from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It is being organized in partnership with the Africa Center Africa Climate Collaborative at University of Ghana Climate and Development Knowledge Network Ghana Beyond the Science and Yl Ghana project lead joins us with the details. Thank you MFA for joining us.

[00:14:09]>> Thank you so much for having me. So the youth and climate change what necessitated this national dialogue >> over the period if you've observed on this platform you'll notice that we've had a lot of content in terms of programming and a greater part of the conversation have always focused on experts what academia is saying what the researchers are saying you know but question is how about the young people who are also experiencing this whole thing about climate change. Don't they have any perspectives? Don't they have any lived experiences to share? What do they make? And we also know that even in their little little corners, some are into very productive ventures all in a bit either it is to mitigate or a form of adaptation activity just so they can they are able to address this whole issue of climate change. Well, this evening we want to shift the focus to this group of Ghanaians or young people.

[00:15:17]We want them to be the ones leading the conversation. We've been talking about climate change at all levels, policy levels. I mean, across the globe, what does the Ghanaian youth think about climate change? What can be done? What are they doing in their own spaces to add to the conversation? As journalists between you and I, we tell stories. That is how we are communicating information and knowledge about climate change. How about the young people in the community who might not get the chance to be journalists but have experiences but are doing things in their own way so that they can adjust to the changing climate.

[00:16:01]That is what you can expect this evening at the national dialogue slated at 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the joy news channel.

[00:16:09]>> Please tell us a bit about the panel, the kind of people who are coming to speak to us um their background and the reason why you empanel such people to have this very important conversation.

[00:16:18]>> It's largely a youth conversation. Of course, you would have some industry um experts uh just to more or less uh help guide the conversation and also to provide some direction. For instance, um those of us in the media um we want to encourage the young people to be part of the conversation when they find themselves on these platforms that we use to inform and educate. What do they need to know? What must they do? So you have someone like myself and other media personnel on the panel helping or providing that information and guidance.

[00:16:56]Then we also have academia. There's a lot when it comes to climate change, the research, the data. But how much of this information do we have? We'll also have that group of people on the panel to provide some level of perspective when it comes to knowledge sharing, when it comes to evidence. What does the evidence say? When we are talking about climate change, we hear people reporting about flooding, reporting about heat, what does the data say, academia, those uh we have partners from the University of Ghana who will be sharing information on that. And then we also have other partners in the climate development sector like you mentioned CDK and Ghana which is the climate and knowledge development Ghana. they will be there to tell us more about um what the the globe in general is doing in terms of um developments, what has to be done in terms of policy and when it comes to robing the youth in to the whole conversation, the process, what role can they play, what change will they make if we bring them on board. So this is this is going to be the constituent of the panel for tonight's.

[00:18:07]>> So briefly, um CDK is one of the the partners. Yes. Yes.

[00:18:11]>> Are there other partners?

[00:18:12]>> Of course, we have the Y E LF. Then we have Beyond the Science. Beyond the Science, like I said, these are people sharing doing a lot more research into the climate change conversation and knowledge brokering. So, they'll be sharing more information in those areas with us.

[00:18:29]>> All right. Thank you so much for joining us and we look forward to that live broadcast at 6:00 p.m. uh today will be moderated by Derek Elum.

[00:18:39]>> Absolutely. I'll be looking, you know, Elam and his energy.

[00:18:42]>> Yes.

[00:18:42]>> Yeah. And I'm sure you would love it.

[00:18:44]>> It was refreshing to see you, Master Ro.

[00:18:48]>> Okay. So, we'll bring that to you at 6:00 p.m. live on Joy News, the youth and climate change. Very important.

[00:18:54]Please don't miss it at 6 p.m. here on the Joy News Channel. But we now cross over to the ACI World Congress 2026 happening live in Ara is not just hosting a congress. Accra becomes the meeting point of global ideas, partnerships, innovation, leadership and opportunities. And ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to tell you that Accra is ready. Now, over the past several months, we have traveled extensively. We have engaged institutions globally. We have spoken to partners, regulators, central banks, financial institutions, and market leaders across different jurisdictions.

[00:19:45]And everything we went, one thing became increasingly clear. There is growing global interest in Africa. Interest in our markets, interest in our potential, interest in our future. And today, the future is gathered right in this room.

[00:20:05]Ladies and gentlemen, this congress comes at a defining moment for our global financial markets. Around the world, economies are adapting to shifting realities. Technology is transforming markets at unprecedented speed. Conversations around liquidity, resilience, digital transformation, sustainability, regulation, and regional integration are becoming increasingly important. At the same time, Africa's financial market story continues to evolve rapidly, driven by innovation, reform, resilience, and ambition. Now this congress therefore provides more than just a platform for discussion. It provides an opportunity to connect, to collaborate, to challenge ideas, to build partnerships, and ultimately to shape the future together. And there could be no better place for these conversations to happen than in Ghana.

[00:21:04]Please put your hands together once again for our beautiful country of Ghana.

[00:21:10]As we all know, Ghana is a country known for its stability, hospitality, resilience, and growing influence within Africa's financial ecosystem. To our delegates joining us from across the world, I say thank you for making the journey to be here with us in ARA. We do not take your presence for granted. To our sponsors and partners, thank you for believing us in the vision and supporting us on this journey. to ACI FMA Global and ACI Africa. Thank you for the confidence repost in Ghana and kudos and special appreciation to the Bank of Ghana and our national stakeholders.

[00:21:52]Thank you for your unwavering support and partnership in helping making this congress a reality. Now ladies and gentlemen, beyond the discussions and engagements over the next two days, I encourage you to experience Ghana, experience our culture, experience our warmth, experience our people, and experience the spirit of African hospitality that makes this continent of Africa truly and very unique. We hope that when you leave Accra, you leave not only with stronger networks and fresh perspectives, but also with a deeper appreciation of Africa's place in the future of global financial markets. As president of ACI Ghana and the newly elected president of ACI Africa, this moment means so much to us. What began as a bold aspiration has now become a reality. And seeing this room filled with leaders and delegates from across the world means that it's a reminder that when vision meets collaboration, remarkable things certainly happen.

[00:23:05]Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is over.

[00:23:09]The countdown is complete and the world is now in Ara. Welcome to Ghana. Welcome to Ara. and welcome to the 64th ACI World Congress 2026. Thank you for your kind attention.

[00:23:35]That was absolutely brilliant. Thank you very much. Um, President Lawrence to offici to officially settle us in with remarks and insights stemming decades of experience, wealth of wisdom, and exemplary leadership across several countries. Please join me with a warm round of applause as we welcome to the stage ACI Financial Markets Association Chairman, Mr. Roy Daniels.

[00:24:16]Thank you, Siso.

[00:24:20]Aquaba, I believe is how I should start as I was informed last night by Lawrence. Thank you very much to all our central bankers that are in attendance, our our governors, our distinguished guests. um certainly the ACI colleagues and and certainly the ACI management board. It's an absolute pleasure for me to stand here and uh be part of the 64th uh global world congress of ACI as a son of Africa. It's with extreme pride that we invite you all to to Ghana and into a crop.

[00:24:56]Lawrence touched on that it's the the second uh world congress being hosted in Africa and uh the amount of time that it has sort of taken for the second event.

[00:25:06]We just hope and pray that we don't wait this long for a third one and I think there'll be a few candidates from our region that will put their hands up for the next um world congress. Let me extend the warmest congratulations to ACI Ghana. I think um Lawrence, you your team and your organizing committee have pulled off something absolutely amazing in in 11 months. Such a short space of time. Well done.

[00:25:33]Your vision, your efforts and your hard work have brought us together as a united con continent to this world congress. I think it's absolutely fantastic the rallying and the support that you've had from the other countries of ACI in this region to support this world congress. So congratulations to all those countries as well. I can tell you that I've in my many years of involvement with with ACI. I've never seen such a display of banners and billboards on the drive from the airport to the hotel. It was absolutely amazing to see how much work you put into this this congress. So again very very well done.

[00:26:17]ACI um founded in 1955 was al has also stood for wholesale financial markets professionals. The foundations of principles ethics are rooted in our very being as ACI. We now cover we're now presented in 61 countries representing and reaching 15,000 market professionals around the world and we're and this work continues via our very many uh working groups and of course the wellrespected management board that we have. Our core mission remains unchanged. Build knowledge, elevate standards, foster the highest highest levels of professionalism.

[00:26:57]Our motto of as of ACI remains unchanged. My word is my bond. Something I think that we covered extensively in our management board meetings over the past few days.

[00:27:11]ACI itself remains strictly politically neutral but it would be unwise for us not to recognize the events that are happening in in the globe at the moment and the geopolitical instability that takes place.

[00:27:25]I share a special thought and a special prayer for our many ACI colleagues around the world that are impacted through these tragic events that are taking place. So a special thought for them and we wish them all the very best to them, their families and their friends during these challenging times. ACI continues to grow and expand. Um at this stage myself and the management board are busy working with eight countries to establish themselves as affiliated associations of ACI and I can proudly tell you that of that eight seven come out of the Africa region. This this shows exactly how this continent of ours is developing growing. It displays the hunger that this continent has for knowledge, for education and to gain experience into the markets to carry these experiences into the rest of the world.

[00:28:28]Africa has its own voice and it's not and it's reaching the stage and the time now where we will be heard in the global environment.

[00:28:40]Our markets at this stage go through these volatile times and uh I can honestly say that in my times of managing trading teams that the same trader that complained to you today that he couldn't make any revenue because the markets were stagnant was the same trader that in a month's time would say to you can't make any money because the markets are too volatile. Volatility is what we need in our markets. Volatility I've always believed gives us opportunity in these markets. We go through the highs and lows of the markets. We go through the emotions of the markets. But we come out the next day and we stand up again and we carry on with what we are employed to do.

[00:29:20]This week colleagues, the platform is being set for you to go and join to meet people, make new friends, meet new professionals within your field.

[00:29:33]spend the time, take the energy and go and ex share your time with the exhibitors and of course with our valuable sponsors of these events. We got to thank all those exhibitors and all those sponsors that make these events possible.

[00:29:51]We spent last night at our quaaba evening and it was quite enlightening to see so many people walking around greeting each other again. haven't seen each other for 11 months, hugging each other and very reconnecting physically cuz we spend these days where everything is digital, everything's via some sort of app, but now we get the chance to actually spend time and greet people face to face.

[00:30:19]So, thank you again for being here and attending this this World Congress and I wish you good times, fun times and finally to ACI Ghana, I wish you continued success with the World Congress. Thank you for your efforts.

[00:30:34]Thank you for hosting us.

[00:30:42]>> Thank you very much, Roy. Let's hear it for him once again.

[00:31:06]Let's hear it once again for Roy. Put your hands together. Thank you, Roy.

[00:31:11]he finds a way of doing the job of an MC as well by acknowledging some of our sponsors. I'm grateful for that. Maybe you join us on as a coc during some of the sessions as we go along. So, having set the tone, we want to use this opportunity to acknowledge some of our sponsors, our gold sponsors. We have Fidelity Bank. Please, let's hear it for Fidelity Bank.

[00:31:35]GCB Bank, BLC. Thank you very much for your sponsorship.

[00:31:40]Plurido. Thank you so much, Plurido.

[00:31:45]Another of our gold sponsors, Mashrek.

[00:31:48]Thank you very much, Mashrek, for your support.

[00:31:51]And our final gold sponsor for this event is Stanic Bank Ghana Limited.

[00:31:56]Please, let's hear it for Stanic Bank.

[00:31:59]Thank you so much. We have so many other sponsors and we'll acknowledge them as the program goes on. For a program as important as this, one that brings the whole world together.

[00:32:12]It's so important that you have solid support. We have been blessed to have that great partnership from the title host of this event. Ladies and gentlemen, please let's hear it for the Bank of Ghana, Ghana Central Bank. So amazing the support they've given us to make sure that we can have this as a very successful event. Having mentioned them definitely one person comes to mind. The one who has led our monetary policy and one who has been very supportive of our financial markets to deliver the keynote address for this great congress. Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me joy to welcome ours yours, the governor of the Bank of Ghana. Please put your hands together for Dr. Johnson Pandit Isama. Let's rise as we receive him.

[00:33:06]>> Hello.

[00:33:09]>> Hello sir.

[00:33:12]>> Good to see you sir. Yes sir.

[00:33:15]>> I know sir. Thank you.

[00:33:17]>> Ah please have a seat.

[00:33:20]Uh good morning everyone.

[00:33:24]You know I like my good morning to be very warm. So I prefer a strong response from you. Good morning.

[00:33:33]>> Aha. It tells me the day will go well.

[00:33:37]So let me first thank the cultural troop for that very very very interesting display. I hope you enjoyed my Abbaza moves.

[00:33:50]I come from the VA region too. I I come from the southern part of the VA region and there the one we do P is called Bobbo.

[00:34:02]So maybe next time they should try some Bobbo and you'll see my skills.

[00:34:10]But on a more serious note, um, president and executives of the ACI Financial Markets Association, governors and deputy governors of central banks, uh, we have a number of distinguished visitors here. I'm told that the participation from outside is very strong. We have a good number of people visiting us.

[00:34:35]Leaders of financial institutions are here with us. Captains of industry, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen.

[00:34:46]So, financial markets are being reshaped in real time. Indeed, they are becoming more digital.

[00:34:55]They are becoming more connected and more shaped by emerging economies, emerging economies than they have ever been.

[00:35:06]And that is the moment in which this congress is meeting. And it is the reason that Ghana, my country, is honored to host all of you. And again, on behalf of his excellency the president, you are all welcome to our beautiful city of Ara.

[00:35:28]And on behalf of the Bank of Ghana and the people of Ghana, I welcome you all to ACRA and to our colleagues at the ACI Financial Markets Association.

[00:35:40]Indeed, 64 years of stewardship of professional standards and market integrity. We thank you. We thank you for the trust placed in Ghana to host this gathering this week.

[00:35:58]Your presence here is itself a signal a signal that the conversation about the future the future of global financial markets it now requires ACRA to also be at the table and we are grateful.

[00:36:18]So let me begin with a proposition, a proposition that frames everything else that I will say here this morning.

[00:36:28]And that proposition is that macroeconomic stability, macroeconomic stability, it is not only good for financial market development, but indeed it is the infrastructure on which financial market development becomes possible.

[00:36:52]Without it, capital markets stay shallow.

[00:36:57]Credit credit stays expensive and innovation innovation stays trapped on the margins of the formal system.

[00:37:12]With it, every other ambition we have for our financial system becomes available to us.

[00:37:23]So three years ago, Ghana did not have that infrastructure.

[00:37:28]Headline inflation at the time went as high as 54.1% in December 2022.

[00:37:37]Our international reserves were thin.

[00:37:40]Depth depth depth was being restructured at the time. Market confidence was being rebuilt from a low base.

[00:37:54]The decisions that were taken at the Bank of Ghana and at the Ministry of Finance over the period that followed were not comfortable decisions, but they were the correct ones.

[00:38:08]The results so far by April this year, inflation had fallen to 3.4%. 4%.

[00:38:18]Our international reserves are well towards 14 billion US more than more than 5 months of import cover and approaching the six months of import cover.

[00:38:36]400 basis points have been shaved off the policy rate since early 2025.

[00:38:43]Fiscal consolidation is holding.

[00:38:46]You have a banking system that has been recapitalized and once again lending to the private sector is recovering.

[00:38:56]So colleagues, I share these numbers not in a spirit of celebration.

[00:39:01]I do realize I have to be careful because global conditions remain uncertain and the risks in the outlook are always out there. Geopolitical tensions are real for us policy makers and they are alive and we are watching their transmission into our economy carefully.

[00:39:26]But I share these to you because they make a point that goes beyond Ghana.

[00:39:35]Stability.

[00:39:37]Stability is not the achievement at which a financial system arrives. It is the foundation from which everything everything else becomes possible to build. That is the lesson of the last 3 years here in Ghana. It is also, I would argue, the precondition for the kind of financial market architecture that the rest of this Congress will be discussing.

[00:40:12]Distinguished delegates, what makes this moment different is not what any single country has done or is do doing. It is what is happening across emerging economies simultaneously and at the same time. The conventional story of financial markets in emerging economies has been one of catchup.

[00:40:40]Adapting frameworks designed elsewhere, importing infrastructure built for other systems, accepting standards set in other rooms.

[00:40:54]That story is ending.

[00:40:57]And it is ending because the tools that are now reshaping global finance are no longer they are no longer being built only in New York, in London or in Frankfurt.

[00:41:12]You have instant payments. You have digital sovereign currencies. You have virtual asset frameworks. You have AIdriven market intelligence. You have original integration architectures.

[00:41:28]These are being built and in some cases built first in places just like Accra in places just as Nairobi, in places just as Sao Paulo and in places just as Mumbai. And this is the shift that this Congress is meeting to recognize here in Ara.

[00:41:56]And what we are seeing in Ghana reflects that broader shift along three architectural lines. Permits me to just outline them briefly. First is that payments are no longer the back office of finance.

[00:42:14]Payments are no longer the back office of finance. Payments are now the front door to finance.

[00:42:25]Colleagues, the decades, for decades, payments were treated as the last mile of finance. The plumbing, the plumbing that moved money once decisions had been made elsewhere.

[00:42:41]But that logic is being inverted.

[00:42:45]That logic is being inverted across the emerging world.

[00:42:51]Payment rails are becoming the entry point into formal finance for billions of users. the data layer, the data layer on which credit decisions are increasingly made and the operational platform on which monetary policy itself is transmitted.

[00:43:14]Colleagues, what we are seeing in Ghana is one expression of these. You have an interoperable ecosystem that is built with gifts and our partners with instant transfers, mobile money integration at scale, QR code interoperability, and a settlement infrastructure that has become a regional reference point.

[00:43:42]The ECD, Ghana's central bank digital currency has completed its pilot phase and we are now actively designing its use for crossber settlement and wholesale payments. The strategic question is therefore no longer whether to build digital sovereign infrastructure.

[00:44:09]The strategic question now here and elsewhere is what economic activity we choose to enable once we have it. The second one in digital finance regulation is not a constraint on scale it is the condition for scale.

[00:44:33]Colleagues, the post208 instinct was to treat regulation as a break on innovation.

[00:44:42]The lesson of the last decade in digital finance is that the opposite is true. The opposite is true indeed.

[00:44:53]Markets markets that lack credible regulatory architecture, those markets do not innovate faster.

[00:45:03]They fragment, they fail and they erode the trust. The trust on which the next wave of innovation depends.

[00:45:15]Ghana's virtual asset service providers act was passed in 2025 and we are now operationalizing it through the detailed regulatory framework that gives the act its market facing form.

[00:45:31]The same principle, the same principle runs through our fintech sandbox, through our supervisory technology investments, through the cyber security frameworks that we are strengthening, and through our work with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Ghana Stock Exchange to align oversight where capital markets, banking, and digital finance increasingly ly converge.

[00:46:03]Colleagues, innovation without regulatory architecture is fragile.

[00:46:09]Innovation that is embedded within credible regulatory architecture compounds and that is the proposition emerging economies are testing now.

[00:46:23]Then the third is that markets that are not connected will not compete.

[00:46:30]Markets that are not connected will not compete.

[00:46:36]Capital Capital does not respect borders, but regulation often does.

[00:46:46]Capital does not respect borders, but regulation regulation does. The countries that recognize this are building integration into the design of their financial systems rather than retrofitting it after the fact.

[00:47:07]We are working with our partners across the region on licensed passporting initiatives for fintexs, on harmonized payment rails, and on the broader vision of a connected African financial market.

[00:47:25]A fintech licensed in one African jurisdiction should be able to serve a customer in another without rebuilding its compliance stack from scratch.

[00:47:39]A payment that is initiated in Ara should clear in Abigan or in Lagos just as easily as it clears in Kumasi here in Ghana. This is not regional aspiration.

[00:47:55]It is the design the design logic of competitive emerging markets in the decade that is ahead.

[00:48:05]Ladies and gentlemen, the theme that this congress has set Ghana at the center of a new financial markets era is a generous framing. And I want to be precise about what I think it means. It does not mean Ghana claims to have solved problems that the global financial system has not solved. It does not mean we believe our experience is universal.

[00:48:34]And it does not mean we are blind that we are blind to the risks that lie ahead to commodity volatility to geopolitical disruption to the fragility of confidence in any market system.

[00:48:51]What it means is this. A growing number of emerging economies, Ghana among them, are no longer countries to which financial market policy just happens. We are countries in which financial market policy is being designed for our own conditions in dialogue with others facing similar conditions. and increasingly as the source of frameworks that other jurisdictions are watching adopting and in some cases some cases adopting that is a different posture from the one that defined the last era. It carries different obligations. It requires us to engage more, not less, with forums such as this one to test our thinking against the experience of others to learn from where we are wrong and to contribute where we have something useful to offer and that is the obligation that Ghana accepts.

[00:50:07]In closing, colleagues, financial markets are not being redesigned in theory. They are being redesigned in real time and they are being redesigned across jurisdictions, across technologies and increasingly from inside the economies that until recently were assumed to be on the receiving end of that design.

[00:50:36]Ghana has chosen to be part of that redesign not as a participant but as a contributor.

[00:50:45]The question for everyone in this room this morning is the same question.

[00:50:51]Are we building financial systems that will keep up with the change ahead?

[00:50:58]Are we building financial systems that will keep up with the change ahead?

[00:51:05]or are we building systems that will shape it? That is the conversation that this Congress is convened to have and it is the conversation that Ghana is ready to be at the center of. Colleagues, I welcome you to Accra. I wish you fruitful, fruitful celebrations. Please enjoy yourselves. Thank you very much.

[00:51:39]Tickle tick tick tick tick tick jante community.

[00:52:24]I'm let go to this place.

[00:52:29]>> Hello. Hello. Can you hear me? Hello.

[00:52:33]Hello. Please, let's put our hands together once again for the governor of the Bank of Ghana.

[00:52:42]Thank you so much, sir. So, we'll take a short musical break. While we are doing that, all the panelists for panel one uh panel discussing the building global markets to respond to change, kindly move backstage to be miked up.

[00:52:58]Thank you.

[00:52:59]All right. So in the spirit of acknowledging our sponsors, I'd want to acknowledge our silver sponsors as well.

[00:53:07]We have as one of our partners for the program the LG. LSG, please let's hear for LSG.

[00:53:15]They are technology providers for the financial market. We also have with us Bloomberg. Bloomberg is here and they are at the exhibition area.

[00:53:26]For our bronze sponsors, we have with us SG, Associate General Bank. Please let's hear for SG. We have SGX as well, Continental Capital Markets, CWG, Syria, 360, GTC, and Loros Africa. Let's hear it for our silver and bronze sponsors.

[00:53:47]I mentioned this has been a work of many partners and we have quite a number of them. Our partners include the Ghana International Bank, HIB. We have Frontclair, UAE, Financial Market Association, ABSA, NIB, ACI UK, Integral, Credstone, the Ghana Stock Exchange, the Ghana Tourism Development Company, Templars, Frinkup, CBG, Six Degrees who are running the operations of this event, the NBC BC, the National Banking College, Sapon Capital, Service Securities and Credential Bank. Let's hear it for our partners as well.

[00:54:30]So, I see all of you well suited up for today and that's so beautiful to see.

[00:54:36]It's going to get even more colorful tomorrow because tomorrow we have the dress code being a traditional wear.

[00:54:44]That is why we've made it a point to provide the African market which is just outside the exit around the area where you registered. So, for those who didn't get a traditional outfit while flying into Ghana, don't worry. We have some aunties and uncles out there who've got you covered. Go out there, get your fugu, get your kint, get your nice African print, and we'll see you tomorrow here looking so colorful.

[00:55:10]Please put your hands together if you're excited about that and you are looking forward to that as well.

[00:55:17]Also by way of information on the lobby, the main lobby floor, we have the main exhibition area where some of our sponsors and partners have exhibited.

[00:55:28]Right after the first panel, we'll be going out for a cafe break which will be held over there. Please do all to pass by, see what they have, strike some partnerships. Let's get some business done and that is something we are looking forward to. We'll take a musical break and we'll join you for the press panel. Thank