Doing Business in Ghana - Start a Business in Ghana

Locals and Expats looking to do business in Ghana, will need to fulfill certain requirement before their business will be recognised and regarded as as legal. Follow the following steps to get your business registered and legally recognised in Ghana.

Step 1: Business Registration at Registrar General's Department (RGD)

All companies are required to complete the relevant application formsin order to get their companies registered in Ghana. All companies must have an auditor, who must be a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), but must not be an officer or a server of the company, nor be an employee or a partner of these persons. When all these forms have been completed satisfactorily and the corresponding fees have been paid, a certificate of incorporation and a commencement of business certificate are issued.

Below are the various business types and the applicable fees for registration:

INCORPORATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES

Applicant may purchase a set of Limited Liability Forms from the in-house bank at GH 10 cedis.
Lodge the following document at the Registry after completion.

Declaration
Consent letter from qualified Auditors.

Pay a prescribed fee of GH 230 cedi and a 0.5 % stamp duty on stated capital.
Registrar issues certificate of incorporation and certificate to commence business.
Time Frame: Three(3) working days.
Renewal each year at GH 50 cedis

COMPANIES LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

Applicant may purchase a set of prescribed regulations and a set of Form 3 from the in-house bank at GH 9.50 cedi.
Completed forms should be submitted at the Registry with a payable fee of GH 270.00 cedi.
Lodge the following document at the Registry after completion.

Declaration
Consent letter from qualified Auditors.

Registrar issues certificate of Incorporation and certificate to commence business.
Time Frame: Within five working days.
Renewal each year at GH 50 cedi.

EXTERNAL COMPANY

Applicant may purchase and complete Forms 20 and 21 from the Ghana Publishing Company Limited opposite, Novotel, Accra (Now Assembly Press)
Submit duly completed forms at the in-house bank together with the following:

Either

A certified true copy of the Memorandum and the Articles of the Association of the Company registered outside Ghana in English
A certified true copy of the Certificate of Incorporation.
Power of Attorney to the Local Manager

Or

All the constitution of the External Company
All these duly endorsed by the Ghana Mission in the Country if any or the nearest country where there is Ghana Mission.

Pay prescribed fee of US$1200 or cedi equivalent.
The Registrar examines registers and notifies the local manager in writing.
Filling of annual returns each year at US$600 or Cedi equivalent.

INCORPORATION OF PARTNERSHIP

Applicant may purchase and complete Form “A” for Incorporation of Partnership from the in-house bank at GH 3.50 cedi.
Present duly completed form together with a stamped partnership agreement at the Registry.
Pay prescribed fee of GH 160.00 cedi.
Registrar examines document and issues certificate of registration.
Time Frame: Within five working days.

BUSINESS NAMES

Applicant may pick up a prescribed Form A from the in-house bank at GH 3.50cedi.
Submit filled forms at the bank in addition with a processing fee of GH60.00 cedi
Registrar examines and issues business registration certificate as well as certified true copy of the form to be submitted as attachment
Renewal each year at GH 25.00 cedi.

Step 2: Register with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC)

The GIPC is responsible for registering all Enterprises in Ghana.

Application Procedure: Investors are required to complete Investor Registration Forms (Form GIPC/R1) in duplicate. Within five (5) days from the date of orderly receipt of these forms (and its attachments) the GIPC will formally register the investment.

Below are the relevant fees and costs applicable at GIPC.

CATEGORY
REGISTRATION	GH¢
a) Wholly Ghanaian Owned Business (Trading)	10,500
b) Wholly Ghanaian Owned Business (Others)	1,050
c) Joint-venture (i.e. $200,000 minimum foreign equity)	10,500
d) Wholly Foreign (i.e. $500,000 minimum foreign equity)	16,800
e) Manufacturing/Export Trading	21,000
f) General Trading (i.e. $1,000,000 minimum foreign equity)	31,500
g) Renewal (Every 2 years) – Joint Venture & Foreign Owned	2,730
h) Renewal (Every 2 years) – Wholly Ghanaian Owned	630
i) Liaison Office	42,000
j) Certificate Replacement	630
k) Certified True Copy (Certificate, Letters, etc.)	420
l) Additional Certificates for Branches	2,520
STRATEGIC PROJECTS	GH¢
a) Processing Fee for Strategic Projects	21,000
b) All Strategic Investment Approvals	105,000
EXEMPTIONS (PER BILL OF LADING/AIRWAY BILL)	GH¢
a) Invoice Value up to $100,000	2,100
b) Invoice Value up to $200,000	4,200
c) Invoice Value up to $300,000	6,300
d) Invoice Value up to $400,000	10,500
e) Invoice Value up to $500,000	12,600
f) Invoice Value up to $600,000	14,700
g) Invoice Value up to $700,000	21,000
h) Invoice Value up to $800,000	31,500
QUOTA/WORK PERMITS	GH¢
a) Automatic Quota	3,150
b) Replacement of Automatic Quota	3,150
c) Substitution of Quota Letters (Automatic & Short-term Permit)	1,050
d) Short-term permit: 1 year & below	10,500
e) Short-term permit: 2-3 years	14,700
f) Short-term permit: 4-5 years	21,000

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS Initial application (Max. 10 years); Renewals (Max. 5 years)	GH¢
a. Processing Fee	11,760
b. Renewal Fee	17,640
c. Transfer value up to $500,000 per annum	17,640
d. Transfer value up to $750,000 per annum	24,696
e. Transfer value up to $1,000,000 per annum	34,574
f. Transfer value up to $1,250,000 per annum	48,404
g. Transfer value up to $1,500,000 per annum	67,765
h. Transfer value up to $1,750,000 per annum	94,872
i. Transfer value up to $2,000,000 per annum	132,821
j. Transfer value up to $2,500,000 per annum	172,667
k. Transfer value up to $3,000,000 per annum	224,468
l. Transfer value up to $3,500,000 per annum	291,808
m. Transfer value up to $4,000,000 per annum	379,350
n. Transfer value up to $4,500,000 per annum	493,155
o. Transfer value up to $5,000,000 per annum	641,102
p. Transfer value up to $5,500,000 per annum	769,322
q. Transfer value up to $6,000,000 per annum	923,186
r. Transfer value up to $7,000,000 per annum	1,107,824
s. Transfer value up to $8,000,000 per annum	1,329,388
t. Transfer value up to $9,000,000 per annum	1,595,266
u. Transfer value up to $10,000,000 per annum	1,914,319
v. Transfer value greater than $10,000,000 per annum	2,297,183

DATA SERVICES/REQUESTS	GH¢
a. List of Registered Companies
i. Investor Name, Contact Information & Sector of Operation (subscribers for 4 requests per annum)	1,176
ii. Investor Name, Contact Information & Sector of Operation (for any request per time)	1,050
b. Due Diligence	2,352
c. Copy of TTA/Certified True Copy of Agreement & Certificate	588
d. Trend of Investment Analysis	2,940
e. FDI Information	1,176
f. Request for Certified True Copies of Documents per set	420
g. Project Catalogue (Red Book) per copy	126
GENERAL APPEALS	GH¢
Appeals against Decisions of the Centre	12,600

Please Note: Service fees are non-refundable.

The fee is payable by Banker’s Draft only, in the name of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.

Fees may be changed by the Centre without any prior notice.

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Doing Business in Ghana - Start a Business in Ghana

Step 1: Business Registration at Registrar General's Department (RGD)

Step 2: Register with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC)

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