BoG listens more, lectures less under my leadership – Dr. Asiama

Bank of Ghana (BoG) Governor, Dr. Johnson Asiama, says the Central Bank under his leadership is placing greater emphasis on listening to stakeholders and responding to their concerns.

Addressing participants at the Ghana-UK Investment Summit on Monday, Dr. Asiama said one of the key changes introduced by the current leadership has been the adoption of a more consultative approach to policy engagement and problem-solving.

“One of the major things we brought on board from last year when we got in was to adopt a consultative approach,” he said.

“We decided to demystify the Central Bank.”

According to the Governor, his years away from the institution helped shape his leadership style after returning to office. During that period, he said, he paid close attention to public discussions and criticism directed at the central bank.

“And during that period, I really listened. I listened to public discourse, I heard the criticism against the then Central Bank, so when I got back in there, it sort of told me what to do,” he stated.

Dr. Asiama explained that listening has become an important part of the bank’s decision-making process.

“You can ask various groups; we bring them over,” he said.

“And for me, the most important thing is how you’re able to identify an appropriate solution after listening to people.”

He pointed to a recent challenge involving Ghanaian content creators and social media influencers who receive payments from platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

According to him, concerns began circulating online after some users reported difficulties accessing their earnings. The complaints quickly gained attention on social media.

“I kept seeing on social media that the Central Bank was being criticised by some of these young people, the influencers, the bloggers,” he said.

Rather than dismissing the concerns, Dr. Asiama said the bank invited the affected individuals for discussions to better understand the problem.

“So we called them in, very young, about 12, 13 of them, and we sat down to try and understand the problem,” he recounted.

The discussions, he noted, helped officials identify the source of the challenge and develop a practical response.

“In the end, we were able to identify [the solution],” he said.

“For me, I was happy we were able to solve the problem, and now they are receiving incomes without struggle.”

Dr. Asiama said the experience demonstrated the value of engagement and dialogue in addressing public concerns.