Average lending rate of commercial banks rose to 21.6% in April 2022, from 20.57% in March 2022, the Bank of Ghana has disclosed.

This is equivalent to 1.8% interest on loans per month.

However, the average lending rate varies among the banks and the respective sectors.

For instance, some banks will offer loans as low as 17% per annum, whilst others will charge rates as high as 29%. Overall, it will depend on the risk profile of the customers.

Again, some perceive lending to the agriculture and construction sectors as riskier, and therefore credit to these sectors are expensive.

According to the BoG Summary of Economic and Financial Data, cost of loans have been rising but marginally due to increasing inflation rate and other factors.

It rose from 20.16% in January 2022 to 20.52% in February 2022.

But average lending rate fluctuated in the first quarter of the year, and then fell consecutively till December 2021.

In January 2021, average lending rate stood at 20.97%, but shot up marginally to 21.02% in February 2021, and then fell to 20.96% in March 2021. After that it consistently dropped to 20.04% in December 2021 and later rose in January 2022.

But with the expected increase in the policy rate once again from its current 17%, lending rate is expected to go up further.

The Bank of Ghana will however hope the monetary policy measures to be announced on Monday May 23, 2022, will help bring down the rising inflation rate and consequently help reduce cost of borrowing going forward.