Mahama raises concerns over poor compliance among public entities
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the low level of compliance with key governance and accountability requirements among public institutions, revealing that only 72 out of 148 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) required to sign performance contracts had done so since his government took office.
Although he acknowledged improvements in the governance and management of public entities, the President noted that several institutions continued to fall short of important statutory and administrative responsibilities.
According to President Mahama, the areas of concern include the timely submission of audited financial statements, signing of performance contracts, submission of quarterly reports, holding of annual general or stakeholder meetings, and the provision of employment data.
He made the disclosure on Thursday, September 10, when he addressed participants at the 2026 SIGA Governing Boards and CEOs Conference.
While recognising the progress made in strengthening governance across public institutions, President Mahama cautioned that the gains should not be mistaken for a complete resolution of the challenges facing the sector.
He noted that only 61 public entities submitted their audited financial statements by the statutory deadline of April 30. Several others submitted their accounts late, while some continued to rely on management accounts or draft financial statements.
The President further disclosed that just 72 of the 148 entities expected to sign performance contracts had complied, while only 71 had submitted their quarterly reports.
He also revealed that compliance with annual general or stakeholder meeting requirements remained particularly low, with only 37 of the 177 entities expected to hold such meetings having done so.
President Mahama added that the submission of employment data had also declined, falling from 142 entities in 2024 to 137 in 2025.
He described the overall compliance gaps as unacceptable and urged public entities to take their statutory and governance obligations more seriously.