End of Easy Money Exposes Past Imbalances and Opens a New Path for Real Sector Growth.
In a defining shift in the economy of Ghana, the sharp decline in Treasury Bill (TB) rates under the policy direction of the Bank of Ghana is doing more than stabilizing inflation, it is resetting the entire financial system.
For years, banks operated in a high-yield environment where government securities offered returns of 20% to over 30%, driven largely by inflation and fiscal pressures. At the peak of in 2022/2023, 91-day Treasury bill rates exceeded 35%, creating one of the most lucrative risk-free environments in Ghana here.
That era is now ending.
As of early 2026, TB rates have dropped significantly hovering around 10.88%- 15.74% while inflation, which one surged above 50% in the late 2022, has intensively dropped below 5% and continues trending downward.
This is not a crisis.
It is a moment of truth.
Because beneath the surface of those high TB rates, was a dangerous imbalance many refused to confront.
For years, Ghana operated an economic structure where banks could make extraordinary profits simply by lending to government, while the productive sectors of the economy struggled under crushing borrowing costs, delayed payments and weak access to credits.
In reality, one uncomfortable truth emerged: At a point when industries were struggling, factories slowing down and contractors collapsing under debt, some banks were still reporting profits.
That should concern every serious economy, this is because finance is supposed to support production, not disconnect itself from it.
WHEN BANKS THRIVED, INDUSTRY SUFFERED
During the period of elevated TB rates:
Banks swam in easy and “sweet” returns, while contractors and the private sector struggled to survive. At the height of the crisis, government securities offered returns above 30%, creating one of the most attractive risk free investment environments in Ghana’s recent financial history.
In reality, many banks no longer needed to aggressively support businesses to remain highly profitable.
Why take risk of financing factories, agriculture, SMEs or contractors when facing economic uncertainty when government offered:
1. Extremely high returns
2. Minimal risk
3. Guaranteed repayment
4. Little operational stress
Naturally, a significant portion of banking assets shifted towards government securities instead of productive private sector lending.
In some institutions, Treasury instruments became one of the safest and most profitable lines of business.
But while the financial sector was enjoying strong returns, the productive sector of the economy was under severe pressure.
Contractors Faced Payment Delays:
Government contractors often waited 18 months to 3 years to be paid. Which lead to:
1. Projects being stalled
2. Cash flows collapsed
3. Businesses defaulted on loans
Arrears in the public sector ran into billions of cedis, gradually turning contractors into unwilling financiers of government operations.
High Taxes, No Real Profits
To sustain high interest obligations:
1. Taxes remained elevated
2. Businesses faced mounting cost pressures
Ghana’s corporate tax rate of 25%, combined with additional levies and compliance costs, created a heavy burden. Yet many industries made little or no profit, squeezed between delayed payments and rising costs.
Credit Was Expensive or Absent
With TB rates offering risk-free returns:
1. Banks had little incentive to lend to businesses
2. Lending rates soared as high as 35%–40%
3. SMEs were effectively locked out of credit
This gradually created an economy where productive enterprises struggled to access financing, while passive investment in government debt became more rewarding.
The imbalance became more and more clear.
REALITY CHECK: WHERE WAS THE PROFIT?
Consider a simple but harsh business reality:
1. Borrow at 35%–40% interest rate AND
2. Pay 25% corporate taxes
Still cover:
1. Raw material costs
2. Salaries and operations (OPEX)
3. Utilities, logistics, and overheads
Where exactly was the profit supposed to come from?
In many cases:
1. Revenue could not keep up with financing costs
2. Margins were wiped out before production even scaled
3. Businesses were surviving not growing
This was not a sustainable system.
It was a slow erosion of industry.
A DISTORTED ECONOMY
The system rewarded financial passivity over production:
Winners
1. Banks (TB income)
2. Government borrowing
3. Short-term returns
Losers
1. Contractors
2. SMEs
3. Industrial growth
The result was slower:
1. Industrialization
2. Job creation
3. Local value addition
One harsh truth was that: Some banks reported record profits during periods when the real economy was shrinking. That was not financial strength, it was system imbalance.
THE RESET: END OF EASY MONEY
Today, falling TB rates signal a new reality:
1. Government borrowing is easing
2. Inflation is stabilizing
3. Easy banking profits are disappearing
Banks must now earn their returns through real economic activity.
This shift aligns Ghana in line with how serious emerging economies operate, where banks make their money by backing businesses and industry, not by packing funds in government debt.
Banks must now generate returns through real economic activity rather than simply rolling over government securities.
This is how serious emerging economies operate, Banks are now expected to:
1. Finance industries
2. Support SMEs
3. Back Agriculture
4. Expand Manufacturing
5. Grow Exports.
Not remain permanently dependent on government debt for profitability.
THE TRUE TEST FOR BANKS
Banks must transition from:
1. Passive income → Active financing
2. Risk avoidance → Smart risk management
3. Government focus → Private sector growth
This is where the real test begins.
One uncomfortable reality is that: If banks made record profits when risk was absent, can they survive in a system where skill is now required?
Some will struggle, because real banking is not passive. It demands a deep understanding of industries, disciplined risk pricing and commitment to long term growth. Profits must now be earned through financing production, not by simply rolling over treasury bill.
THE NEW RESPONSIBILITY
To remain relevant and profitable, banks must step into a new role:
1. Partner with Cooperatives, by doing so they:
.Enable group lending
.Reduce risk
.Expand access
Especially for farmers, traders and small businesses traditionally exempted from formal credit systems.
2. Finance Value Chains;
Banks must move beyond isolated lending and support entire production ecosystems through:
.Fund production ecosystems
.Use structured offtake models
3. Collaborate with Fintechs;
Digital finance is rapidly changing banking economics.
Fintech partnership can support :
. Digital credit scoring
.Lower costs, wider reach
Fintech adoption in Ghana is already rising, with mobile and digital financial services growing at over 20% annually.
4. Leverage Mobile Money (MoMo) :
With over 60 million registered mobile money accounts in Ghana, this remains one of the most underutilized credit channels in the banking systems. MoMo data can support:
.Data-driven lending
.Scalable micro-credit systems
.Agricultural financing
The opportunity remains massive.
A NATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
If banks respond decisively:
1. SMEs gain access to capital
2. Agriculture becomes bankable
3. Manufacturing expands
4. Imports reduce, exports grow
5. Jobs are created
Ghana’s credit to GDP ratio remains below 20%, compared to over 100% in advanced economies. That gap is not a weakness, it is an opportunity.
FINAL WORD
The past few years revealed a hard truth:
An economy cannot grow when finance thrives but production suffers.
Low TB rates are correcting that imbalance.
They are not a weakness but rather a test of responsibility and innovation.
If this transition fails, it will not be because of policy, but rather it will be because banks chose comfort over courage.
The era of easy money is over.
The era of real banking and real growth has begun.
–
By: Elikem Desewu
