The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has announced stringent new sanctions against customers who issue dud cheques, introducing escalating penalties that include a three-year ban on cheque issuance and restrictions on access to new credit facilities for repeat offenders.
In a notice issued on June 24, the central bank expressed "grave concern" over the high incidence of dud cheques, which has had "consequential effects on the acceptance of cheques for transactions." The new measures, contained in Notice No. BG/GOV/SEC/2026/12, supersede previous directives and take immediate effect.
Under the new framework, a first-time offender will be levied 10 per cent of the cheque's face value and issued a warning notification, with the offence reported to Credit Reference Bureaus and the Bank of Ghana. The customer will also be placed under surveillance for a minimum period of one year.
A second offence within one year attracts a 15 per cent levy on the cheque's face value, accompanied by another warning notification and reporting to credit bureaus and the central bank.
The most severe penalties apply to third-time offenders. A customer who issues a dud cheque for the third time within one year will face a 20 per cent levy and will be banned from issuing cheques in the country for a minimum of three years. In addition, the Bank of Ghana will prohibit such customers from accessing new credit facilities from the banking system for one year.
The central bank may also publish the list of third-time offenders. Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions will be required to recall all unused cheque books and cease issuing new ones to banned customers until sanctions are lifted.
Where a customer fails to return unused cheque books within ten working days of notification, the customer will be reported to the Bank of Ghana, which may impose a ban on operating any current account. The customer will also be added to a Directory of High-Risk Cheque Issuers that the central bank will create.
Banks and SDIs are required to conspicuously display copies of the notice in all banking halls and on official websites. They must continue submitting data on dud cheque issuers to Credit Reference Bureaus and file monthly returns to the Bank of Ghana by the 10th day of the ensuing month.
Failure by banks and SDIs to comply with these directives will attract sanctions under Section 92(8) of the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions Act, 2016 (Act 930).
The Bank of Ghana has underscored its commitment to sustaining confidence in the payment system, stressing that the new measures are intended to discourage the malpractice of issuing dud cheques and restore trust in cheque-based transactions.
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