AmCham Business Bridge with Doris Kafui Afanyedey: Strengthening market integrity in consumer goods & agribusiness sectors

Walk into any supermarket, restaurant, or processing facility in Ghana, and you are witnessing the end result of a complex journey.

From the cocoa farmer tending their trees in the Eastern Region to the manufacturer producing palm oil in the Ashanti Region, the consumer goods and agribusiness sectors are the engine rooms of our economy. They put food on our tables, create millions of jobs, and generate the foreign exchange that keeps our economy running.

But keeping that engine running smoothly requires more than just hard work; it requires a system that works.

Recently, the AmCham Ghana Consumer Goods, Retail & Agribusiness Committee convened. Around the table sat multinational manufacturers, local distributors, commodity processors, and key industry players.

The goal wasn’t just to list problems, but to find a practical path forward. What emerged from that conversation was a clear consensus on four fundamental pillars that need strengthening: predictability, fairness, reliable information, and basic infrastructure.

The Cost of Uncertainty

If there is one thing that keeps investors awake at night, it is unpredictability. Our members spoke openly about the challenges of planning years in advance when the rules of the game can shift suddenly. When import duties fluctuate unexpectedly, or when export bans are imposed without warning, it creates a ripple effect throughout the supply chain.

During a good harvest, farmers want fair prices; during a lean season, the market needs imports to fill the gap. When policy doesn’t reflect these simple supply-and-demand realities, it distorts the market. For a business to build a factory, hire staff, or invest in new technology, it needs to trust that the policy environment tomorrow will look something like it does today.

A Level Playing Field for Honest Businesses

Another issue that struck a chord was the frustration of playing by the rules while others do not. Ghanaian and multinational companies operating formally carry a heavy burden: they pay their taxes, meet strict quality standards, and navigate lengthy registration processes. Yet, they often compete with substandard or uncertified products flooding the market.

This isn’t just about fairness; it is about consumer safety. When enforcement is uneven, it punishes the very businesses trying to do the right thing. Strengthening coordination between the Food and Drugs Authority, the Ghana Standards Authority, and the Customs Division isn’t just a bureaucratic exercise; it is the only way to protect consumers and ensure that integrity in the marketplace is rewarded, not penalized.

The Data Dilemma

How can you manage what you don’t measure? A recurring frustration was the lack of credible, up-to-date data. Inconsistent statistics on everything from grain production to poultry consumption lead to misguided policy decisions. It means decisions are based on guesswork, and private sector investors are left flying blind.

There is a real hunger within the private sector to partner with the government to fix this. By pooling resources for credible research, we can ensure that decisions about our cocoa, maize, and edible oil sectors are based on facts, not assumptions.

The Basics of Business

Finally, we returned to the fundamentals. A food processor cannot maintain hygiene standards without reliable water. A cold chain distributor cannot guarantee quality without stable power. These infrastructure challenges are not new, but they remain the bedrock upon which everything else is built. Until these utilities are consistent, operational costs will remain high, and compliance will remain a struggle.

Looking Ahead to 2026

The committee left the meeting with a clear sense of purpose. This is not about pointing fingers; it is about building bridges. Our focus for 2026 is structured, respectful dialogue with our ministries and regulators. We want to partner with the government to ensure that Ghana’s regulatory ecosystem protects consumers and encourages the kind of responsible, long-term investment that transforms economies.

Ghana has the talent, the resources, and the entrepreneurial spirit to lead West Africa in food production and processing. With consistent rules, fair enforcement, and reliable data, there is no limit to what we can achieve together.

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