Development Bank Ghana launches index to track 5,000 small businesses

Development Bank Ghana (DBG), in partnership with the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), has launched the country’s first Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development Index. Known as the DBG-GSS MDex, the initiative is designed to provide a consistent, data-driven framework for tracking the performance and health of small businesses across all 16 regions of the country. The launch addresses a critical gap in the nation's economic landscape: the previous absence of a recurring measure to assess the impact of policy and financial interventions on the MSME sector. Over 100 trained enumerators have been deployed to conduct a nationwide survey as part of the data collection process. They are tasked with gathering comprehensive information from a sample of over 5,000 businesses. The index will evaluate performance across eight specific dimensions, including profitability, resilience, and operational sustainability. By gathering this level of detail, the DBG and GSS aim to create a reliable barometer that reflects the real-world challenges and successes of both the informal and formal business sectors. The results of this inaugural survey are expected to be published in a report by the end of January 2027. Moving forward, the DBG-GSS MDex will be updated annually to provide continuous insights for government agencies, financial institutions, and development partners. This long-term monitoring is intended to guide more effective policy formulation and ensure that future financing decisions are tailored to the specific needs of MSMEs, which form the backbone of Ghana's economy.