The Bank of Ghana (BoG), in collaboration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Ghana and the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) have held an Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) sensitisation workshop for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).
The one-day workshop marks an important milestone toward the effective implementation of Ghana’s recently passed Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) Act.
The workshop, which attracted over 90 participants from the virtual asset ecosystem, aimed to strengthen AML/CFT compliance within the sector. It featured discussions on Ghana’s AML/CFT legal and regulatory frameworks, including the AML Act, 2020 (Act 1044), the AML/CFT Guidelines (2022), and the VASP Act. Emphasis was placed on the designation of VASPs as Accountable Institutions under the AML/CFT Guidelines (2022) and the attendant compliance obligations.
Key provisions of the VASP Act were also highlighted, including anticipated licensing and registration requirements, as well as the transitional arrangements for existing operators.
The service providers were made to understand that virtual asset services without the requisite licence or registration after the transitional period will attract stringent sanctions in accordance with the law.
This initiative reflects a coordinated effort by BoG, SEC and FIC to support market stability, and safeguard investors.
The three regulators took the opportunity to reaffirm that implementing the VASP Act will be a key focus for Ghana’s financial regulation in 2026.
