Ghana has taken a significant step toward strengthening its entrepreneurship ecosystem with the launch of the Ghana Entrepreneurship Policy Chatbot (Gepbot) a digital tool designed to help entrepreneurs and startups better understand government policies and regulatory requirements affecting business operations.
The initiative was officially unveiled at the Ghana Digital and Innovation Week (GDIW) 2025 in Accra and is aimed at addressing long-standing challenges entrepreneurs face in navigating complex, fragmented and highly technical policy frameworks.
According to a statement issued in Accra, Gepbot provides entrepreneurs with quick, clear and consistent responses to policy-related questions, enabling business owners to make informed decisions while reducing delays caused by uncertainty around certifications, standards and documentation requirements.
The chatbot forms part of the Digital Transformation for Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Ghanaprogramme, which seeks to enhance digital skills, improve access to information and promote inclusive economic growth and job creation. The programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in alignment with Ghana’s broader digital transformation agenda.
The need for such a tool was underscored during a panel discussion at the launch, which featured representatives from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA). Panelists noted that many entrepreneurs struggle with regulatory compliance not due to negligence, but because of difficulties in accessing accurate information or correctly interpreting policy requirements.
They identified misconceptions around regulatory processes as a major source of delays and avoidable bottlenecks for businesses, stressing that an on-demand digital platform offering reliable guidance could significantly bridge the information gap between public institutions and the entrepreneurial community.
Developed through collaboration among ecosystem stakeholders, policy experts and technology developers, Gepbot translates complex policy frameworks into user-friendly guidance informed by real-life entrepreneurial experiences.
Stakeholders at the event described the chatbot’s launch as a critical step toward improving transparency, clarity and accessibility in public sector engagement with businesses key factors widely recognised as essential to strengthening Ghana’s startup and small business ecosystem.
Developers also indicated that the platform will continue to evolve as more entrepreneurs interact with the chatbot and as public institutions provide updated policy content to reflect changing regulatory needs.
