Access Bank, DEG – Deutsche Investitions und Entwicklungsgesellschaft and the German Chamber of Commerce Abroad (AHK) are offering a new service for German companies and their local partners in Ghana: the “German Desk – Financial Support and Solutions”.

This specialized desk, which also enjoys the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has been created to close financing gaps hampering trade activities. The global network of German Desks spans from Peru, via Kenya and Nigeria to Indonesia and Bangladesh.

In practical terms, the German Desk Ghana will provide financing solutions for local companies wishing to acquire German equipment or use German services. Those also include financial services, such as setting up accounts, providing short to medium-term credit lines, services for financing trade and transaction banking. Companies can benefit from the combined network of Access Bank, AHK Ghana and DEG.

“DEG is pleased to open a German Desk together with the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana and Access Bank, which will help intensify the links between German and Ghanaian Companies,” said Christiane Laibach, Chairwoman of DEG’s Management Board, during the opening in Accra on 11 February, 2019.

Also speaking at the launch, the Deputy Group Managing Director of Access Bank Plc., Mr. Roosevelt Ogbonna, indicated the initiative does not only give the Bank a competitive advantage in the industry, but further goes to show the Bank’s expertise in providing customer need-based solutions across all its operating countries.

He added, “The partnership with DEG – Deutsche Investitions und Entwicklungsgesellschaft is the first of its kind in Ghana and mirrors our successes in Nigeria. We are leveraging on the global investment footprints of our partners and our strong local industry expertise to close the financing gaps hampering trade activities in Ghana and the sub-region”.

Dr. Martin Wansleben, Chief Executive of the DIHK emphasized the importance of having a German Desk especially in the time where access to suitable funding in young emerging markets is often a challenge. He stated that having the German desk will contribute immensely to the overall abusiness cooperation between Ghana and Germany by intensifying competitiveness of German companies in Ghana.

The German Desk – Financial Support and Solutions in Ghana is already the second of its kind between Access Bank and DEG. The first one has been active in Nigeria since October 2017, where the new services have been very well received.