Set up to promote the growth and development of an efficient, fair and transparent securities market in which investors and the integrity of the market are protected through the proactive implementation of the security laws, SEC has, over the years, silently contributed so much towards the development of the Ghanaian capital market and the national economy. Since the inception of the Ghana Stock Exchange, total capital raised in debt and equity issues amounted to GHC 21.5 billion.

At the opening of a two-day conference as part of the activities to celebrate the 20^th anniversary, the Chairman of SEC, Dr Yeboa Amoa, said that SEC has strategically sought to link every sector of the national economy to the Capital market paticularly in the area of funding. He said that feasibility studies conducted, provided robust, legal and regulatory framework to facilitate the establishment and operation of the Ghana Alternative Exchange, an alternative capital raising and trading platform, dedicated solely to Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs). The Ghana Commodity Exchange has also been established to help farmers stabilize their income and easily have access to finance and markets at home and abroad. The SEC has also just finalised a legal and regulatory framework that will see the advent of a new asset class dedicated to the real estate and housing sector known as the Real Estate Investment Trusts for investment and mortgage finance in the housing sector.

He noted that capital markets play critical roles in the development and wealth creation of a nation. They can be used to industrialise, finance the country’s huge infrastructure gap, create wealth for its citizens, unleash the creative potential of its people, inject efficiencies into the operations of the private sector, public utilities and state-owned enterprises and turn ideas into marketable products of global dimensions.

Dr Amoa reiterated that fact that Ghana is endowed with rich, natural and human resources with a population of youth that have brilliant ideas that can be turned into huge export earnings for the country. He said that Ghana must seriously consider developing a robust local capital market just as some emerging economies have done to lift her out of under-development and poverty. This, he said,  calls for a stabilised macro-economic and political economy where investors and the business community can make appropriate business decisions and plan ahead.

He said that the National Capital Market Conference was organised to draw attention of policy makers to seriously make the capital market, the fulcrum of Ghana’s economic development agenda.

The Senior Minister of the Republic of Ghana, Mr Yaw Osafo-Marfo, who gave the key-note address congratulated the Commission for ensuring that sanity prevailed in the capital market by preventing people from investing in dubious schemes. He challenged the SEC to clamp down on all ponzi and quasi-ponzi schemes that are threatening the harmonious financial atmosphere.

The celebration was also marked with a two-day exhibition to showcase the achievements of the Commission.

A dinner and awards ceremony was also held where deserving individuals in the industry were recognised for their work. Among them were former Finance Minister, Dr Kwesi Botchwey, Senior Minister, Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, Togbe Afede XIV, the President of the National House of Chiefs, Ghana and the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State and President of Asogli Traditional Area in the Volta Region of Ghana, Kwame Pianim, a business economist and investment consultant, Stephanie Baeta Ansah, a lawyer and banker and Lloyd Evans for financial reporting.  Past and present staff also received awards for dedicated service.