Mr Kwabena Boateng, Deputy Managing Director of Wholesale Banking at Fidelity Bank Ghana, has reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to driving investment transformation and pension optimisation in the country.
He made the remarks at the 2025 edition of the Money Summit, organised by the Business and Financial Times at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, on the theme: “Optimising Investment and Pensions Management: Strategies for Sustainable Retirement Income and Economic Growth.”
He highlighted opportunities within the 2021 framework introduced by the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), which allows Tier 2 pension schemes to create multiple constituent funds tailored to various risk and age profiles.
“The framework exists, but the implementation timeline remains unclear,” he said. “We urge the NPRA to move forward. This is not just about optimising returns -it’s about using pension capital as a vehicle for national development.”
On pension fund management, Mr Boateng expressed concern over growing calls to lower fees to unsustainable levels.
While acknowledging the need to manage costs, he cautioned against compromising professional quality.
“You cannot safeguard the future of Ghanaian retirees with a system that disincentivises quality,” he stated. “We need professionals who are not just managing money but building futures.”
Mr Boateng lauded the organisers for consistently fostering national dialogue on key financial and economic issues, and said Fidelity Bank’s participation was driven by a sense of national duty, not mere corporate obligation.
“As Ghana’s largest privately-owned indigenous bank, we believe in actively participating in forums like this, where we can contribute our expertise, learn from others, and collectively work towards a more robust and sustainable financial future for all Ghanaians,” he said.
The Deputy Managing Director outlined three strategic focus areas essential to unlocking long-term investment outcomes for individuals and the nation.
He first called for a market-driven approach to macroeconomic stability, proposing a shift from traditional reliance on interest rate adjustments to policies that encourage more capital market financing.
“Rather than relying solely on monetary tightening to control inflation, we should be enabling businesses, especially SMEs, to access long-term financing through bonds, equities, and other instruments,” Mr Boateng said.
“This reduces pressure on the banking sector and builds resilience in the broader economy.”
He noted that high Treasury bill rates continued to crowd out investment in longer-term instruments and acknowledged that private sector credit, which had been on the decline, had begun to recover.
As of February 2025, private sector credit grew by 3.1 per cent in real terms, compared with a decline of 14.7 per cent in February 2024.
Mr Boateng emphasised that capital market development must be matched by fiscal discipline and inflation control to support macroeconomic policy.
He reiterated Fidelity Bank’s long-standing commitment to building an inclusive and sustainable financial ecosystem, pointing to the Bank’s track record of supporting long-term development, including in sectors considered risky or underserved.
“Fidelity Bank’s purpose has always been clear – to support the ambitions of Ghanaians, from market women to young professionals. It is time for all of us – regulators, institutions, and individuals – to align our strategies to secure not only our financial futures but the sustainable growth of the entire nation,” Mr Boateng said.
The 2025 Money Summit brought together policymakers, financial institutions, investment professionals, and regulators to explore strategies for strengthening Ghana’s pensions and investment framework in the context of emerging macroeconomic realities.