Also known as: Prof Bokpin · Professor Bokpin · Prof. Godfred Bokpin · Professor Godfred Bokpin · Prof. Bokpin · Godfred Alufar Bokpin · Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin · Gofred Bokpin · Prof. Godfred Alufar Bokpin
Economist and financial expert who comments on Ghana's economic crises, fiscal challenges, energy sector inefficiencies, and governance issues.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Business & Financial Times
… Somewhere in 2025, University of Ghana economist Professor Godfred Bokpin noted that while sterilization by the Bank of Ghana helps reduce inflation, it also comes with trade-offs. …
Inside the numbers: Understanding the Bank of Ghana losses and the impact on the economyJoy Online
… Godfred Bokpin, an overly strong cedi could deter Foreign Direct Investment and make imports cheaper than local goods, hurting domestic production. …
The paradox of plenty: How Ghana’s farmers are being sacrificed on the altar of a cheap import agendaJoy Online
Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana, Godfred Bokpin, has said Ghana’s delayed decision to seek support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) significantly worsened the country’s economic crisis and led to one of the most expensive IMF programmes in the nation’s h …
Ghana paid high price for delayed IMF programme – Prof BokpinJoy Online
A Professor of Finance and Economics at the University of Ghana, Godfred Bokpin, has raised concerns over the financial position of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), warning that its current state could undermine confidence as the country prepares to exit its International Monetary Fund ( …
BoG financial position raises credibility concerns ahead of IMF programme exit — Prof BokpinJoy Online
… Godfred Bokpin, Prof. Mathew Tsamenyi, Dr. …
MTN Ghana, Nova Business School launch second Mini MBA cohort for SME growthEconomist Professor Godfred Bokpin warns that financial losses under the Bank of Ghana's Domestic Gold Purchase Programme could require taxpayers to fund recapitalization of the central bank, as the losses have affected the bank's equity position.
20 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Professor Godfred Bokpin warns that financial losses under the Bank of Ghana's Domestic Gold Purchase Programme could require taxpayers to fund recapitalization of the central bank, as the losses have affected the bank's equity position.
20 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Godfred Bokpin says the Ghana Gold Board has played an important role in bringing gold-related foreign exchange into the formal economy and reducing gold smuggling, but broader macroeconomic stability results from fiscal and monetary policy. He notes that while GoldBod has narrowed the gap significantly and brought foreign exchange that may have previously been lost to smuggling, the programme has come with significant financial losses that must be considered when assessing its overall impact.
19 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin says the real cost of Ghana's gold-buying intervention extends beyond losses in the Bank of Ghana's books, and must include wider fiscal and financial costs such as taxes surrendered to attract artisanal and small-scale gold producers into the formal market. The IMF's latest assessment puts losses from the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme at more than US$1.7 billion in 2025, but Bokpin contends this figure does not capture the full cost to Ghana.
19 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin says Ghana's domestic gold purchase programme has incurred substantial losses that are too costly to sustain, though he acknowledges GoldBod's success in reducing gold smuggling and boosting foreign exchange inflows. He attributes the losses partly to design defects in the programme and argues better planning could have minimised losses while preserving its benefits.
19 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin says the GoldBod initiative has significantly reduced gold smuggling and helped Ghana retain more foreign exchange from artisanal and small-scale mining, with the gap between Ghana's gold export figures and those of importing countries narrowing significantly since GoldBod's introduction.
18 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin says GoldBod has successfully helped Ghana retain foreign exchange from the gold sector and narrowed the smuggling gap, but argues the programme suffered major design defects that better planning and expert input could have prevented.
18 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Prof. Godfred Bokpin, economist at the University of Ghana, says the Ghana Gold Board's financial costs could have been reduced through more comprehensive assessment of the gold value chain before scaling up operations, along with greater transparency and openness to expert input.
18 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Professor Godfred Bokpin has warned that Ghana Gold Board operations are imposing significant losses on the Bank of Ghana's balance sheet and raising concerns about the true fiscal cost of the government's domestic gold purchasing programme. He noted that while GoldBod has brought more foreign exchange into the formal system by purchasing gold from artisanal and small-scale miners, the programme was scaled up without sufficient consideration of full costs, and resulting liabilities accumulate on the central bank's books and could eventually require government recapitalisation.
18 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Godfred Bokpin has criticized the durability of Ghana's road infrastructure, noting that earlier generations built more lasting roads with less formal education and technical expertise. He expressed concern that despite advances in education and availability of trained professionals, Ghana struggles to maintain durable roads, and cited the lengthy rehabilitation of the Tema-Accra motorway as an example.
11 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Financial economist Professor Godfred Bokpin has expressed concern over the deteriorating state of roads in Ghana, criticizing successive governments' ability to maintain infrastructure despite advances in education and technical knowledge. He highlighted the poor condition of the Accra-Kumasi highway and Tema-Accra Motorway as critical routes requiring urgent rehabilitation, noting that the poor state of the Accra-Kumasi road has significantly increased travel time between the two cities.
11 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Prof. Godfred Bokpin says Ghana has failed to move beyond macroeconomic stability since 1992, instead cycling through periods of economic instability and painful recovery, with the cost of restoring stability becoming enormous and increasingly unbearable for the country.
11 August 2026 · Joy Online →
An analysis challenges Professor Bokpin's characterisation of Ghana as approaching a "failed state," arguing that Ghana's declining inflation, fiscal consolidation, and democratic stability distinguish it from actual state failure; the piece also contends that while macroeconomic stability alone does not drive transformation, it remains a necessary precondition for it.
10 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's Attorney-General announced plans to investigate persons implicated in a bribery scheme involving a Turkish energy company and a power plant project, following the conviction of former Goldman Sachs banker Asante Kwaku Berko by a U.S. federal jury on charges including conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering.
10 August 2026 · The Chronicle →
Economist Prof. Godfred Bokpin warns that weaknesses in Ghana's energy sector pose a threat to fiscal stability and calls for greater transparency, broader consultation, and clearly defined private-sector participation in electricity distribution. He notes that problems at the Electricity Company of Ghana—including high distribution losses, weak revenue collection, and financial burdens on the state—predate the current IMF programme, though the programme has improved transparency and revenue distribution mechanisms.
8 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Prof. Godfred Bokpin says state-owned enterprises, including the Electricity Company of Ghana and COCOBOD, have cost Ghana between 2.5% and 3.2% of its GDP over the past 15 to 20 years through inefficiencies. He calls for stronger policy reforms targeting these enterprises and greater transparency on any private-sector participation in ECG.
8 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Prof. Godfred Bokpin has urged greater transparency and national consultation on Ghana's electricity sector reforms, warning that ECG's financial challenges pose a major risk to fiscal stability. He notes that long-standing structural problems including inefficiencies, weak revenue collection, and power generation obligations predate the current IMF programme.
8 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Prof Bokpin warned that persistent inefficiencies in the Electricity Company of Ghana and other state-owned enterprises could force Ghana to seek another IMF intervention. He said Ghana has lost between 2.5% and 3.2% of its GDP over the past 15 to 20 years due to such inefficiencies, and the energy sector's extra-budgetary allocations sometimes exceed combined budgets for Health, Food and Agriculture, and Education.
8 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Professor Godfred Bokpin has called for a broader national conversation on Ghana's democracy beyond partisan politics, arguing that the country must confront issues threatening free speech, institutional independence, and citizens' confidence in democratic governance. He said Ghana should objectively examine evidence and patterns from successive NDC and NPP governments to determine whether emerging trends could undermine democratic institutions.
8 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Prof. Godfred Bokpin cautioned Ghana's NPP and NDC against allowing partisan strategies to undermine critical democratic institutions, saying recurring claims by both parties about institutional threats may point to deeper problems that deserve serious consideration.
8 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Professor Godfred Bokpin says Ghana's IMF-supported reforms have failed to deliver structural improvement in domestic revenue collection, with the tax-to-GDP ratio averaging 14 per cent during implementation despite targets set in the 2023 National Revenue Policy. He recommends improving tax administration, closing revenue loopholes, expanding the tax net to the informal sector, and reducing reliance on volatile commodity revenues.
3 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Prof. Godfred Alufar Bokpin told the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry that Ghana's economic recovery should be measured by improvements in citizens' living conditions—employment, infrastructure, and services—rather than macroeconomic indicators alone. He cautioned against excessive celebration of recent gains like declining inflation and restored debt sustainability, noting that macroeconomic stability is a means to achieving economic transformation, yet many citizens remain to feel the benefits.
1 August 2026 · Joy Online →
MobileMoney Fintech Limited has assured customers that funds in mobile money wallets are protected through regulated trust accounts maintained with partner banks and supervised by the Bank of Ghana. Electronic money is held by partner banks rather than directly by payment service providers or fintech companies.
31 July 2026 · The Chronicle →
Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin has cautioned that while Ghana has made progress in reducing inflation, improving fiscal discipline and restoring debt sustainability, the country lacks a nationally determined target for employment generation in its budget. He stressed that macroeconomic stability should serve as a means to achieving transformation rather than an end in itself, noting that unemployment stood at 13.0 per cent in the third quarter of 2025 and youth unemployment at 32.4 per cent.
30 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Prof. Gofred Bokpin has described the government's commitment to maintaining its fiscal consolidation strategy through 2026 as reassuring, citing stability for businesses and investors and no major revisions to macroeconomic targets. He notes the government's reaffirmation of a 1.5% GDP primary fiscal surplus target demonstrates commitment to macroeconomic stability.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Prof. Godfred Bokpin disputes the government's assertion of significant spending, saying government expenditure relative to Ghana's economy size has not kept pace with previous trends. He argues that while government attributes past high spending to waste, the current approach lacks sufficient investment to drive job creation and economic growth, a situation worsened by revenue shortfalls forcing reliance on expenditure controls.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Professor Godfred Bokpin has called on fintech companies to unite and strengthen collaboration, arguing that fragmentation within the sector is hampering efforts to combat digital fraud and build a resilient digital economy. He said an ecosystem-wide approach with coordination among fintechs, potentially through a unified body, would enable them to share information and negotiate from a position of strength.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Prof Godfred Bokpin, an economist and professor of finance, has cautioned that the fight against digital fraud cannot be fully won, as cybercriminals continuously evolve their methods and adapt to emerging technologies. He emphasised that governments, banks, and fintech firms must remain constantly vigilant, since fraudsters invest in research and new techniques as quickly as legitimate institutions develop defences.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Economist Prof. Godfred Bokpin has urged Ghana to shift financial education to digital platforms where people spend time and adopt an integrated approach starting from kindergarten, arguing that stronger financial and digital literacy skills are essential as digital finance grows and fraud risks increase.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin has called for financial literacy to be embedded in Ghana's education system from kindergarten, arguing that the country responds to financial fraud too late instead of preparing citizens from an early age. He urged a coordinated, continuous national programme rather than isolated campaigns launched after problems emerge.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's maiden Digital Economy Forum airs tonight at 8 p.m. on JoyNews and Joy FM, bringing together policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, and academics to discuss digital fraud's impact on consumer confidence and business growth.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →