Ghana now has its first risk-free collective investment scheme, thanks to the innovation and forward-thinking of assets management firm, Tesah Capital.

“The Tesah Treasury Trust is a money market unit trust that will invest only in government and quasi-government securities such as treasury bills, notes and bonds,” according to Managing Director of Tesah Capital, Eugenia Basheer.

“This takes away issuer risk from the Trust and can therefore be said to be a zero risk fund. To enable anyone and everyone to invest in the Tesah Treasury Trust, there is no minimum investment amount. This means that you can invest any amount at any time.

“There are no charges for investing in the fund and there are no charges for withdrawing from the fund. The Tesah Treasury Trust presents the perfect opportunity to make a return on your money and still have access to it anytime you need it.”

Mrs Basheer was speaking at a ceremony to unveil the Tesah Treasury Trust, along with another collective investment scheme known as the Tesah Future Trust, as well as the company’s digital platforms.

Mrs. Basheer says the introduction of the two collective investment schemes, the Tesah Treasury Trust in particular, is in response to a directive from the industry regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission, that all investment amounts below GHS100,000.00 should be in collective investment schemes.

She spoke about the importance of collective investment schemes, pointing out that “they are a major tool for mobilization of funds for economic development.”

“Considering the advantages to investors and to economic growth and development, we need to actively drive the growth of Collective Investment Schemes in Ghana,” Mrs. Basheer said.

“Investing should not be the preserve of a few affluent people. We aim to change the rhetoric by creating avenues for everyone including those who do not have a lot, to create wealth through investments, while those who have a lot also continue to get more,” she stressed.

“Collective Investment Schemes allow everyone to take advantage of scale to benefit from diversification of securities and expert fund management services at lower costs.”

The other collective investment product unveiled at the same ceremony was the Tesah Future Fund, which Mrs. Basheer described as “a balanced mutual fund which invests in a carefully selected mix of equities and fixed income securities.”

She added: “The equity investments permit rapid growth while the fixed income investments guard against fluctuations caused by changes in prices of the equities in the portfolio. The Tesah Future Fund is ideal for investors with medium to long term wealth growing objectives and who are willing to accept some risk in exchange for return.”

Director-General (DG) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Reverend Daniel Ogbarmey Tetteh, who was the special guest at the unveiling ceremony, lauded Tesah Capital for the bold step in introducing the collective investment schemes.

“Savings and investments are critical not just for individuals but for every economy. Every initiative that supports savings and investments needs every endorsement that we can muster,” he said.

Rev. Ogbarmey Tetteh stressed on the shared responsibilities of the regulator, market operators and investors in sanitizing the security industry, emphasizing the need for “market operators to live up to their fiduciary role and professionalism.”

He further charged members of the public to ensure that they are well-informed about investment opportunities before committing to them. This, he said, will help safeguard their investments.

“It is important for the investing public to understand their responsibility. When it comes to investment. At the minimum, you must seek to understand the product,” he urged.

“Tesah is introducing two new collective investment schemes, the Tesah Treasury Trust and the Tesah Future Fund, and they've made it easy for you to also have that investment experience with Tesah mobile. I think it’s a very nice combination. So take time to understand the product and buy the product."

President of the Ghana Securities Industry Association (GSIA), Winston Nelson Jr congratulated Tesah Capital for “adding a further push to [the] collective investment scheme segment of the market.”

Tesah Capital is an asset management company in Ghana, providing investment management and advisory services to pension trustees, financial and non-financial institutions, corporate organisations and individuals.