The new Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiama, has confirmed that he is operating from the newly constructed headquarters of the central bank.

He made this known while appearing before a committee of Parliament to answer questions regarding the new headquarters project.

Dr Asiama explained that his predecessor had already moved into the new facility as the project was nearly completed.

"Yes, my predecessor moved into the new headquarters because it was allowed as the project is about 98% complete. It is almost done, and so my predecessor moved into it," he stated.

He further noted that upon assuming office, he had no choice but to continue using the building while the remaining aspects of the project were finalised.

"When I took over, I had no choice but to also move into it while we continue all the other processes," he added.

The construction of the new Bank of Ghana headquarters has been a subject of public debate, with questions raised over its cost and necessity.

However, Dr Asiama's comments suggest that the facility is already in use, even as final works are being completed.

The new Governor also revealed that discussions regarding the construction of a new headquarters for the central bank started as far back as 2011.

Dr Asiama explained that the board of the Bank of Ghana at the time had initiated considerations for acquiring land for the project.
However, due to the inability to agree on a specific location, no concrete steps were taken before the tenure of the board ended.

“The discussions around a new headquarters for the Bank of Ghana date back to 2011 when the board at the time considered acquiring land for the project. However, the board at the time could not settle on a specific location until its tenure ended,” he stated.

The Governor further highlighted that the issue was revisited in 2016 when he served as the Deputy Governor, but once again, a final decision on the location was not reached.

“Mr Speaker, even in 2016, when I was the Deputy Governor, the same issue was being considered, however, we could not settle on a specific location,” he noted.

According to Dr Asiama, it was not until 2019, under a new board, that a structural integrity audit was conducted on the existing headquarters, which was built in the late 1950s. The audit revealed significant structural defects, making the facility unfit for purpose.

“In 2019, under a new board of the Bank of Ghana, a structural integrity audit was conducted, and this showed that the existing headquarters, which was built in the late 1950s, had developed significant structural defects and was no longer fit for purpose,” he stated.

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