Financial liberalization and banking sector performance in Ghana

Abstract

The study examined the impact of financial liberalization on the banking industry in Ghana. The paper reviews what has happened in the pre and post liberalization periods in the banking industry. Using recent data from the Ghana Banking Survey (2008) between 2003 and 2007, the study found that liberalization had many effects on the banking industry in Ghana, including: influx of new banks, increased intensity of competition, reduced profit margins, and increased access to loans. The study also found that the foreign banks have outperformed the local banks over the study period.