The Role of New Economy Indicators on Banking Sector Performance in Ghana: Trend and Empirical Research Analysis of Banks’ Clients and Experts Perception

Abstract

The revolution of the new economy is contemporaneous with an improvement in the financial sectors all over the world, while financial innovations make the sector more productive. The banking sector plays an important role in supporting economic growth especially in allocating funds from savers to borrowers. The productivity level of the banking system is of great importance for the whole economy to operate more effectively. Electronic banking has been the center-stage of modern banking with enormous benefits. From this point of view, this research paper contains an effort to critically examine the activities of the banks and make concrete suggestions in the new economy process also at the same time called the information economy, the network economy and the computer age. The research employed a research questionnaire from a survey that sought to seek opinion from customers and experts regarding the banking sector and the new economy in Ghana. Within the scope of the survey, bankers and customers from ADB, GCB, Fidelity Bank, Access Bank and Bonzali Rural Bank, as well as experts from the banking industry and entrepreneurs were interviewed. The findings of the study shows that in the adoption of the new economy in the banking sector, many challenges such as high charges, e-crime and fraud are of great importance. To deal with the challenges of adopting e-banking services, the research paper recommend that the universal banks or commercial banks should undertake rigorous internal control measures to reduce the high charges so as to establish a judicial banking system and also the bank of Ghana should develop a robust regulatory framework to avoid cyber risk and Ponzi banking schemes. Auditing fraud and forensic banking programs will also contribute immensely to macroeconomic stability. After all, even though such difficulties persist, customers and experts mainly use new economy products such as mobile banking, internet banking, and ATM service for ultimate purpose of withdrawing cash, checking account balance and bank statement request. In view of this, the new economy appears to have positively affected the banking sector's activities in Ghana, and the banks are beginning to equip their operations with the latest technology.