To maintain transparency and accountability in governance, the Presidency Communications Office is set to launch “The Government Accountability Series” on Monday, July 14, 2025.
This initiative aims to provide a comprehensive appraisal of the government’s performance over the past six months, shedding light on key achievements, challenges, and future plans.
The series will feature key sector ministers presenting mid-year updates on their respective sectors’ performance, offering a unique opportunity for the masses to gauge the government’s progress and hold leaders accountable.
The series will be held three times a week, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 11 am, ensuring consistent and regular updates.
The Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, will kick-start the series, setting the tone for a transparent and accountable governance framework. This initiative underscores the government’s commitment to openness and good governance, fostering a culture of accountability and transparency.
Undoubtedly, by providing a platform for sector ministers to present updates on their performance, the Government Accountability Series will enable citizens to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and hold leaders accountable for their actions. This series is a crucial step towards building trust and confidence in the government, promoting good governance, and ensuring that the needs of citizens are met.
President John Mahama addressing business leaders at the Kwahu Business Forum, reaffirming his commitment to private sector-led growth.
Adnan Adams Mohammed
The President John Mahama administration has pledged to promote the private sector, to position it as a key driver of Ghana’s economic recovery and long-term development.
The president’s resolve follows a declaration he made last week that, government will not extend the ongoing Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when it ends in April next year.
The ECF came with stringent conditions and reforms which have in some ways impacted negatively on private businesses and individual households due to enhanced domestic revenue mobilization through introduction of new taxes and increases in some already existing tax rates; reduction in the fiscal deficit through restraints in government spending; structural reforms in tax policy and public financial management; and comprehensive public debt restructuring to address high public debt levels. Also; the Bank of Ghana is required to maintain a tight monetary policy stance, which has affected lending rates and increased the cost of doing business.
“After we complete the programme, we will continue to manage government expenditure responsibly and maintain disciplined economic management, creating more space for private sector growth”, President Mahama affirmed while speaking to business leaders in a follow-up session at the Kwahu Business Forum.
“If the private sector thrives, the economy thrives. If the private sector is happy, the government is happy. It is the private sector that can absorb and employ the teeming youth graduating from all levels of our educational system”, he said.
Highlighting the limits of public sector employment, Mahama noted: “When you add up all government employees, from watchmen to chief executives, you’re talking about fewer than a million people — approximately 800,000 — in a population of 33 million.”
He stressed: “Even if we doubled that number, we would still face a major youth unemployment challenge. The only sector that can adequately absorb the growing number of young people entering the workforce is the private sector.”
Meanwhile, President Mahama reassured the business community of his government’s commitment to making revenue mobilization more business-friendly and transparent, emphasizing that his administration has no intention of introducing new taxes that could threaten the survival of businesses or encourage tax evasion.
“I noticed that when the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) was introduced, everybody applauded — you applauded the GRA. The GRA is your friend. I can assure you they are your friend, and they will become even more business-friendly because I believe the solution to our situation is not to pile on more taxes,” President Mahama said.
He further stated, “The solution is to make taxes more transparent and fair to encourage greater compliance. If you keep adding more taxes, people will inevitably find ways to avoid them. That was the same argument we made against the previous government’s introduction of the E-Levy.”
Reflecting on the impact of the E-Levy, President Mahama added, “We warned that people would find ways to avoid paying it — and they did. Instead of solving financial challenges as promised, people simply cashed out their wallets and reverted to using cash to sidestep the new levy.”
Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff of John Mahama Presidency
Adnan Adams Mohammed
The Office of the President has directed all heads of government institutions to revoke all unethical ‘last-minute employment’ the outgone NPP government did in bad faith to overburden the public purse.
This is to help purge the government payroll from overbearance of all persons added to the payroll on or after Saturday, December 7th 2024.
The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, who signed the directive emphasized the importance of maintaining transparency and accountability in government payroll management processes.
Heads of all public institutions are to oblige by the new directive.
This follows earlier directive from the presidency tasking all heads of public institutions to provide on all such persons employed on the December 7th 2024.
The memo urged the heads to ensure the requested information is submitted no later than Friday, January 31, 2025.
The memo outlines that institutions are required to submit the following details for each staff member added within the specified period:
Full Name
Designation/Job Title
Employee Identification Number (if applicable)
Date of Appointment
Date Added to Payroll
The directive was part of ongoing efforts to verify and ensure the accuracy of government payroll records, specifically those added during the tenure of the John Mahama administration.
“This information is critical to maintaining transparency and accountability,” the memo states, stressing the need for prompt compliance. Institutions facing any challenges or requiring clarification have been encouraged to reach out without hesitation.
The directive has also been copied to the Vice President, the Secretary to the President, and other key stakeholders, underscoring the significance of this initiative in addressing payroll integrity across government institutions.
Failure to meet the submission deadline may attract scrutiny, as the government seeks to streamline payroll systems and eliminate any discrepancies.
