Taking Stock of Policies, Regulations, and Initiatives That Leverage Technology to Build Trust: Lessons from Ghana’s Financial Sector

Abstract

Technological innovations that increase trust in the financial sector can drive financial growth. Using Ghana as a case study, this study reviewed technology-focused policies, strategy documents, and peer-reviewed literature to assess how financial technology is being utilized to build trust in financial institutions. The literature search revealed that two categories of technological applications are being used to build trust: payment platforms and trade and investment technologies. The findings showed that Ghana has adopted wide-ranging initiatives to build trust—for example, the National Digital Property Addressing System, the Re-registration of SIM Cards, and the passage of the Data Protection Act (Act 843 of 2012). We also identified key challenges associated with leveraging technologies in the sector. Valuable for financial institutions, academics, practitioners, and other financial-sector actors, the insights from this study could enhance policy formulation and implementation across other jurisdictions.