Customers who repeatedly issue dud cheques risk being barred from accessing fresh credit from banks and financial institutions for one year under the Bank of Ghana's (BoG) revised
The report indicates that customers who repeatedly issue dud cheques risk being barred from accessing fresh credit from banks and financial institutions for one year under the Bank of Ghana’s (BoG) revised rules.
It further notes that they will also be prohibited from issuing cheques for at least three years if they are classified as repeat offenders.
The sanctions apply to customers who issue dud cheques for a third time.
The BoG announced the revised measures in a Dud Cheque Notice issued on September 7, 2026.
Under the new framework, repeat offenders will also be charged a levy equivalent to 20% of the face value of the dud cheque.
The central bank stated it will notify all banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions (SDIs) when a customer is banned from accessing new credit.
For a first offence, banks and SDIs are required to impose a levy of 10% of the face value of the dud cheque.
The financial institution must also issue a warning to the customer outlining the consequences of repeating the offence.
The offence must further be reported to the Credit Reference Bureaus and the Bank of Ghana.
For a second offence within one year of the first, the levy increases to 15% of the cheque’s face value.
The bank or SDI must again issue a warning to the customer and report the offence to the Credit Reference Bureaus and the Bank of Ghana.
The BoG has also reminded banks and SDIs to continue submitting information on customers who issue dud cheques to Credit Reference Bureaus in accordance with Section 25(c) of the Credit Reporting Act, 2007 (Act 726).
Banks and SDIs are required to submit monthly returns on dud cheques to the BoG by the 10th day of the following month.
Institutions must also submit a nil return in months when no dud cheques are recorded.
