Privacy Policy

SME Finance Ghana ("the Platform") is an educational and informational marketplace that helps Ghanaian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) discover, compare, and evaluate financing products offered by various financial institutions. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data in compliance with the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) of the Republic of Ghana and guidelines issued by the Data Protection Commission.

The Platform is operated as a public information service. For data protection purposes, the data controller is SME Finance Ghana. The Platform is registered with the Data Protection Commission of Ghana as required under Act 843. Any questions about data processing may be directed to us through the platform's contact channels.

We may collect the following categories of personal data: • Contact Information: Email address, phone number (when you subscribe to alerts or submit inquiries) • Business Profile Data: Business size, sector, region, and revenue range (when you use the eligibility assessment tools) — this data is processed locally and not stored unless you explicitly submit a form • Feedback Data: Ratings and comments you provide through our feedback form • Document Data: Documents you voluntarily upload for self-assessment purposes (stored securely in encrypted cloud storage) • Usage Data: Non-personally identifiable information such as pages visited and features used, collected via standard analytics • Inquiry Data: Name, email, phone, and message content when you submit an inquiry about a product or institution

Your personal data is processed for the following purposes: • To provide personalised financing product recommendations based on your business profile • To send you notifications about new products, rate changes, government programmes, and events (only with your explicit consent) • To enable you to prepare document checklists and self-assess your readiness for financing applications • To improve the Platform's content, features, and user experience based on feedback • To facilitate communication between you and financial institutions when you submit inquiries • To comply with legal obligations under Ghanaian law

Under Act 843, we process your data based on: • Consent: For notification subscriptions and voluntary data submissions • Legitimate Interest: For improving Platform services and providing relevant financial information to Ghanaian SMEs • Legal Obligation: Where required by Ghanaian regulatory authorities

We do not sell your personal data. Data may be shared in limited circumstances: • With Financial Institutions: Only when you explicitly submit an inquiry about their products — we share only the information you provide in the inquiry form • With Service Providers: Cloud storage and analytics providers who process data on our behalf under strict data processing agreements • With Regulatory Authorities: When required by law or order of the Data Protection Commission All third-party service providers are required to maintain the confidentiality and security of your personal data.

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including: • Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS) • Secure cloud storage with access controls for uploaded documents • Regular security assessments of Platform infrastructure • Access to personal data is limited to authorised personnel only • Automated deletion of uploaded documents after the retention period

• Notification preferences are retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion • Feedback data is retained for up to 24 months for service improvement purposes • Uploaded documents are retained for a maximum of 90 days, after which they are automatically deleted • Inquiry data is retained for up to 12 months • Eligibility assessment data entered in the online tool is processed in your browser and is not stored on our servers

Under the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), you have the right to: • Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you • Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data • Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements) • Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent for notification subscriptions at any time • Object: Object to the processing of your data for certain purposes • Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission of Ghana To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through the Platform's feedback or inquiry channels.

The Platform may use essential cookies to ensure proper functionality. We may also use analytics tools to understand how the Platform is used. These tools collect aggregated, non-personally identifiable data. No tracking cookies are used for advertising purposes.

The Platform is designed for business owners and entrepreneurs. We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under the age of 18. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal data, please contact us for immediate removal.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The updated policy will be posted on this page with the revised effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our data processing practices, you may: • Use the Feedback form on this Platform • Submit an inquiry through our contact channels • Contact the Data Protection Commission of Ghana at www.dataprotection.org.gh We aim to respond to all data protection inquiries within 30 days.