Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reforms that promote accountability, strengthen enforcement, and safeguard investor confidence in Ghana’s business environment.
He said a sound and predictable legal framework remained the backbone of a thriving business climate, ensuring fairness, protecting stakeholders, and providing the certainty businesses need to invest and innovate.
Dr. Ayine made the remarks while delivering a goodwill message at the Stakeholder Symposium organised by the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) in Accra.
He commended the ORC for convening the symposium on the theme “Resetting the Business Environment: The Role of Enterprise Risk Management,” describing it as timely given the growing complexity of risks confronting businesses.
According to him, the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992), which created the ORC as an autonomous body, marked a turning point in Ghana’s corporate governance and regulatory framework.
Since its inauguration on July 23, 2022, he noted, the ORC has worked to register, regulate, and educate businesses to promote compliance and transparency.
“These three pillars—registration, regulation, and education—are essential to a thriving business environment, and I commend the ORC for its continued efforts in fostering a culture of sound corporate governance,” he said.
The Attorney-General also acknowledged the role of the media in amplifying the outcomes of the symposium, stressing that their work was crucial in promoting transparency, compliance, and risk awareness across the business community.
Acting Registrar of Companies, Maame Samma Peprah, in her welcome address, said the symposium reflected the ORC’s commitment to creating a transparent, risk-conscious, and business-friendly environment.
She described the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992), as a landmark reform that introduced modern governance standards, enhanced accountability, and greater transparency obligations for businesses.
A key outcome of the Act, she explained, was the establishment of the ORC as an autonomous regulator with a threefold mandate to register, regulate, and educate businesses.
“These three pillars—registration, regulation, and education—are not just functions; they are the backbone of a credible business environment. They shape how investors view us, how businesses operate, and how society at large interacts with the formal sector,” she said.
Mrs. Peprah added that reforms under the Act—such as beneficial ownership disclosure, filing of annual returns, auditor tenure limits, and strengthened enforcement powers for the Registrar—align closely with enterprise risk management by improving accountability and reducing systemic risks.
She stressed that adopting robust enterprise risk management practices would empower businesses to anticipate challenges, safeguard assets, and build resilience in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
The symposium brought together stakeholders from across the business sector to deliberate on practical strategies for embedding risk management into Ghana’s business and regulatory landscape.
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