Ghana

The Foreign Exchange Act of 2006 promotes a better tracking of remittance inflows and the increasing usage of formal channels for remittances. It also provides for: the exchange of foreign currency, for international payment transactions and foreign exchange transfers; for the regulation of foreign exchange business and provides for related matters.

The National Remittances Credit Registry (NRCR) is a project housed by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in Ghana with the following objectives:

1) To assist the Government of Ghana to diversify the country's investments for remitting Diaspora; thus, enhancing the service delivery and development outcomes;

2) To design and operate a centralized database compiling national remittances flow, and;

The Migration Information Bureau was set up in July 2006 and it has been in charge of prevention and awareness raising on the risks and costs of irregular migration. The Service has recently launched a documentary to be aired on all the country's TV channels and has been involved in Public Education Campaigns (PEC's) throughout the country, involving lectures, drama, stories of returnees, leaflets and posters.

OBJECTIVES

The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) is a one-stop-shop for diaspora members who wish to invest in Ghana. It provides information and encourages diaspora members to set up small and medium size enterprises (SME's) in Ghana to generate employment and reduce poverty.

The Government of Ghana, with the support of IOM, the Netherlands and the UK, has a circular migration program to encourage Ghanaian professionals to return on an temporary basis to teach and provide medical assistance in various regions.

The Diaspora Support Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana hosts and maintains a diaspora website which serves as a platform for facilitating the engagement of the country’s emigrants in sustainable development by the Government of Ghana.

Ghana's Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA) 2010 - 2013 identifies the major policy thrust for migration by, inter alia: establishing a comprehensive institutional framework for the management of migration, harmonizing legislation on migration, creating a comprehensive database on migration, mainstreaming migration into the national development policy framework and building the human, technical, and logistical capacity of migration institutions for better migration management.  

Since 1996, the Dutch city of Almere has maintained friendship relations with the city of Kumasi in Ghana. In 2001, the Mayors of Almere and Kumasi signed the “Sister Cities Agreement 2001-2006”, in which the principles of their co-operation are laid down.

This agreement involves Ghanaian migrants that facilitate collaboration in the areas of waste management, urban planning, women empowerment and cultural exchanges.

Given the practical action oriented focus, the agreed checklist will be launched by the governments of Jamaica, Ghana and others at GFMD 2012 in Mauritius as a migration and development practice. The launching governments will initiate a "call for action" for governments to identify which provisions in the checklist are already being implemented in their countries and send in these good practices to UN Women. With the help of partner agencies, responses will be collected and an analytical inventory of protection initiatives by GFMD governments developed.