Ghana Intensifies Governance Reforms with Performance-Linked Pay and Transparency Initiatives for State Institutions

The Ghanaian government has launched a series of aggressive transparency and performance-based reforms aimed at transforming state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and public institutions into profitable, accountable entities. Leading this charge, Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang announced at the 2026 SIGA Annual Stakeholders’ Conference that the government is considering a performance-linked remuneration framework. This policy would align the incomes of SOE managers with their actual performance, ending the controversial practice of paying bonuses to loss-making institutions. To support this shift, the Ministry of Finance has introduced a Public Financial Management (PFM) Compliance League Table. The initial findings reveal that only seven out of over 100 assessed institutions—including the Environmental Protection Authority and the Ministry of Energy—are highly compliant with the PFM Act, while the National Communications Authority was ranked as the least compliant.

In tandem with financial reforms, the energy sector is undergoing a significant policy shift toward open governance. The Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, announced that Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) will now be made public to end the culture of secrecy in power deals. This initiative includes a dedicated website for public access and proposed amendments to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s mandate. The move is designed to prevent the recurrence of opaque contracts, such as the agreement that previously resulted in a $140 million judgment debt against the state. This transparency drive is echoed at the regional level, where the Greater Accra Region has become the first to fully certify its district development plans for 2026–2029, and the Oti Regional Minister has vowed to personally inspect all construction projects before authorizing payments to ensure quality standards.

Despite these internal efforts, governance experts and economic stakeholders warn that deeper structural issues remain. Professor Michael Kpessah-Whyte, Director-General of SIGA, and economist Professor Peter Quartey have called for urgent reforms in political financing, arguing that the reliance on private funding for elections often forces SOE leaders to reward political supporters rather than prioritize efficiency. Simultaneously, former Finance Minister Seth Terkper has critiqued the effectiveness of global financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank, arguing they were not originally designed to build resilience in African economies against external shocks. These concerns are underscored by local tensions, including protests by railway workers over 14 months of salary arrears and a leadership row at the Dambai College of Education.

To ensure the longevity of these reforms, there is a growing call for a binding legal framework to align all political manifestos with Ghana’s 40-year national development plan. Advocacy from groups like the Global Africa Trade Advisory Chamber emphasizes the need for policy continuity across administrations to prevent project abandonment. Furthermore, the Catholic Relief Services recently held high-level dialogues in Tamale to strengthen civil-military cooperation, highlighting that sustainable development and transparency are inextricably linked to national security. As the government pushes for a whole-of-society approach to accountability, the success of these initiatives will depend on the strict enforcement of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and a collective shift toward long-term national goals over short-term political gains.