Ghana's Central Bank Clarifies: US Dollar Not Legal Tender, Can Be Rejected for Payments

ACCRA – July 17, 2025 – The Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has reiterated that the United States Dollar is not a legal tender in Ghana, and individuals and businesses are within their rights to reject it as a medium of payment for transactions within the country.

The clarification comes amidst ongoing discussions about the use of foreign currencies in the Ghanaian economy. While the dollar is widely used for international trade and certain local transactions, the central bank is emphasizing the primacy of the Ghanaian Cedi as the sole legal tender for domestic economic activities.

This directive serves to reinforce the Cedi's role and stability, encouraging its use for all local payments and discouraging the practice of pricing goods and services in foreign currencies. The BoG's stance aims to maintain monetary policy effectiveness and prevent the unofficial dollarization of the economy, which can have implications for inflation and exchange rate management.

Businesses and the public are advised to conduct transactions using the Ghana Cedi to comply with the country's legal tender laws.