State-owned enterprises not established merely to pay salaries – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has called on the boards and management of Ghana's State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to shift their focus from mere survival to creating tangible value that directly benefits ordinary Ghanaians. Speaking at the SIGA Governing Boards and CEOs conference, the President emphasized that the establishment of SOEs is not merely for maintaining offices and sustaining institutions indefinitely.

He explained that these enterprises are established to fulfill strategic national development priorities that the market alone cannot address.

Mahama stated that the true measure of success for a state enterprise should not be its visibility or its ability to pay salaries and keep its doors open, but rather its capacity to create real economic and social impact for citizens. He expressed concern that some SOEs have defined success narrowly as simply surviving, without demonstrating meaningful economic and social outcomes.

The President challenged the leadership of all state enterprises to raise the bar of accountability. He asked each board chairperson and chief executive to answer the question: "What additional value did our entity create this year?" He emphasized that this answer should reflect lower costs for farmers, improved services for traders and entrepreneurs, better opportunities for workers and students, and overall support for Ghana's productive sectors.

Mahama reiterated his government's commitment to demanding efficiency, transparency, and performance from state enterprises. He stressed that public resources must translate into public value, and urged boards to provide strategic oversight and management to foster innovation, prudent financial management, and alignment with national development priorities. He warned that entities failing to justify their continued existence through measurable impact will face review.