Small business reliance on bank financing in Ghana

Financing has been identified as a dominant constraint to Ghanaian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study explores the determinants of bank financing and debt among Ghanaian SMEs. A panel regression model estimates the relation between the determinants and the bank-debt ratio. The results reveal that bank loans account for less than a quarter of SMEs'total debt financing, and show that the age and size of the firm, along with asset tangibility, have significantly positive associations with the bank-debt ratio. Profitability is significantly and negatively related to the bank-debt ratio. These findings have significant implications both at the firm level and for the support of policies aimed at improving SME financing in Ghana.