Michael Kpessa-Whyte

Also known as: Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte · Professor Michael Kpessa-Whyte · Prof. Kpessa-Whyte · Prof Michael Kpessa-Whyte · Prof. Whyte · Professor White · Prof Kpessa-Whyte

Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority, defending SIGA's 2025 state-owned enterprises report amid criticism from policy analysts.

2026-06-072026-09-13

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

June 2026
7 JunJoy Online
… Michael Kpessa-Whyte, is the Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority [SIGA]
The real honour is service, not paid recognition – Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte, Director-General of SIGA writes

Politics

Only 61 state entities submitted audited accounts on time

The News

President Mahama has raised concerns over delays by state-owned enterprises in submitting audited financial statements, with only 61 of 162 entities meeting the April 30 statutory deadline in 2025. Mahama described the compliance gap as unacceptable and stressed that timely audited financial statements are essential for effective oversight and accountability in the management of public resources.

10 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 10 September

Only 61 state entities submitted audited accounts on time
President Mahama has raised concerns over delays by state-owned enterprises in submitting audited financial statements, with only 61 of 162 entities meeting the April 30 statutory deadline in 2025. Mahama described the compliance gap as unacceptable and stressed that timely audited financial statements are essential for effective oversight and accountability in the management of public resources.
10 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Only 72 of 148 state entities signed performance contracts in 2025
The Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) raised concerns over poor compliance with governance requirements among state-owned entities, citing that only 72 of 148 targeted entities signed performance contracts in 2025 and just 71 submitted quarterly reports on time. However, he noted progress in audited account submissions, which increased from 53 in 2024 to 108 in 2025.
10 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 7 September

SIGA report on state enterprises sparks debate between Simons and Kpessa-Whyte
IMANI Africa Vice President Bright Simons and State Interests and Governance Authority Director-General Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte clashed on JoyNews over SIGA's report on Ghana's state-owned enterprises, with Simons questioning the figures, methodology and conclusions, while Prof. Kpessa-Whyte defended the report's integrity and data.
7 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Saturday 5 September

Campaign director disputes SIGA report errors affecting conclusions
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Director of Communications for the Bawumia Campaign Team, has criticised a State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) report, claiming errors in the document affected some of its conclusions. He acknowledged SIGA's improved reporting quality and said his concerns centred on errors rather than methodology.
5 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Bright Simons rejects AI-reliance claims in SIGA critique
IMANI Africa Vice President Bright Simons denied accusations from SIGA Director-General Michael Kpessa-Whyte that he used AI to analyse a 448-page SIGA report, saying technology was used only for data extraction and that he has not delegated his professional judgment to AI over 20 years of policy analysis.
5 September 2026 · Joy Online →
SIGA defends SOE performance figures as audited accounts
The Director General of the State Interests and Governance Authority has defended the figures in SIGA's report on state-owned enterprises' performance, saying the data were drawn from audited accounts and that foreign exchange movements and operational efficiency both shaped the results.
5 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 4 September

BOSTenergies pays first-ever dividend of GH¢34.2m
BOSTenergies has paid GH¢34.2 million in dividends to the Government, its first dividend payment to the State. The company's 2025 revenue reached GH¢3.81 billion and total assets increased by 50 per cent to GH¢3.99 billion, reflecting improved financial performance and management.
4 September 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →

Tuesday 1 September

Ghana's state-owned enterprises record GH¢176.43 billion revenue in 2025
State-owned enterprises in Ghana recorded total revenue of GH¢176.43 billion in 2025, a 28.12 per cent increase from GH¢137.64 billion in 2024, with net profit after tax reaching GH¢19.80 billion, according to the State Ownership Report released by the State Interests and Governance Authority.
1 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 31 August

ECG liabilities hit GH¢82.31bn amid SOE sector improvement
The Electricity Company of Ghana accounted for GH¢82.31 billion of total liabilities held by Ghana's state-owned enterprises in 2025, according to SIGA's State Ownership Report. Despite an overall 4.31 per cent decline in combined SOE liabilities to GH¢281.99 billion, SIGA warned that significant financial risks remained concentrated in a small number of entities, with ECG among five SOEs that recorded losses in each year from 2021 to 2025.
31 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's state enterprises post GH¢19.8bn profit in 2025
Ghana's state-owned enterprises recorded a consolidated net profit after tax of GH¢19.80 billion in the 2025 financial year, ending four consecutive years of net losses, according to SIGA's 2025 State Ownership Report. Total SOE revenue increased by 28.12 per cent from GH¢137.64 billion to GH¢176.43 billion, marking a significant turnaround from the GH¢2.25 billion net loss in 2024.
31 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Sunday 30 August

Ghana's state enterprises return to profitability in 2025
State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) recorded consolidated net profit of GH¢19.80 billion in 2025 after a net loss of GH¢2.25 billion in 2024, with revenue rising 28.12 per cent to GH¢176.43 billion, according to SIGA's 2025 State Ownership Report covering 162 of 175 approved Specified Entities. Agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors led the recovery, supported partly by currency gains.
30 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 30 June

Governance quality directly affects Ghana's economic performance and tax compliance
Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte, SIGA Director-General, argued that institutional quality is a macroeconomic determinant, not merely an abstract governance indicator, and that transparency in the public sector reduces business costs, attracts investment, and builds tax morale necessary to fund public services.
30 June 2026 · Business & Financial Times →

Thursday 18 June

NAFCO posts GH¢91.7 million profit, up from GH¢19 million loss
The National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) achieved a financial turnaround in 2025, recording a net profit of GH¢91.7 million compared to a GH¢19 million loss in 2024, driven by governance reforms including a new Procurement Department, strengthened Internal Audit, and Board reconstitution. The company also paid GH¢20.3 million in taxes, its highest annual tax contribution in 16 years.
18 June 2026 · The Chronicle →

Wednesday 17 June

Buffer Stock Company posts GH¢91.7m profit, GH¢20.3m tax
The National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) recorded a net profit of GH¢91.7 million in 2025, a significant turnaround from a GH¢19 million loss in 2024, and paid GH¢20.3 million in taxes—the highest annual tax contribution in the company's 16-year history. The State Interests and Governance Authority credited the recovery to governance and operational reforms including improved procurement, audit functions, and board reconstitution.
17 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 11 June

Minority demands parliamentary inquiry into Ghana Ministers awards scheme
The Parliamentary Minority has called for a bipartisan committee to investigate the Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours following allegations that individuals were required to make financial payments to secure recognition. The State Interests and Governance Authority Director-General claimed he was asked to pay GH¢50,000 for an award.
11 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Wednesday 10 June

Citizens petition Mahama over alleged cash-for-awards scheme
Two citizens have petitioned President John Mahama to investigate government officials who allegedly paid money ranging between GH¢25,000 and GH¢50,000 to receive awards at the 6th Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards held in Accra on June 6, 2026.
10 June 2026 · Daily Guide →
Citizens petition Mahama over alleged cash-for-awards scheme
Two citizens have petitioned President Mahama to investigate government officials who allegedly paid money to receive awards at the 6th Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards in Accra on June 6, 2026. The petition alleges that awardees paid between GH¢25,000 and GH¢50,000 to secure recognition, and names several government ministers among the recipients.
10 June 2026 · Daily Guide →

Tuesday 9 June

Mahama bars ministers, CEOs from private awards without approval
President John Dramani Mahama has directed ministers, CEOs of state institutions, and political appointees to stop participating in, endorsing, sponsoring, or accepting awards from private organisations without prior approval from his Office. The directive cites concerns that many award-giving bodies lack transparent, objective criteria and pose risks of undermining public service integrity and creating false impressions about government performance.
9 June 2026 · Daily Guide →
Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours denies pay-for-awards allegations
The Secretariat of the Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours has denied claims that recipients must make financial contributions to receive recognition, stating that all honours are awarded solely on merit, leadership and service to national development. The denial follows concerns raised by Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte about the potential for awards to become transactional.
9 June 2026 · Joy Online →
SIGA boss denies celebrating Best CEO award on social media
Professor Michael Kpessa-Whyte, Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority, has rejected claims by the CEO of Big Events Ghana that he publicly celebrated being named "Best CEO of the Year," describing the allegation as "a palpable lie" and challenging the awards organiser to provide evidence of the alleged social media post.
9 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Sunday 7 June

SIGA director rejects unsolicited award over lack of transparency
Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte, Director-General of SIGA, declined a "Best CEO of the Year" award from an organisation styling itself as "Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours," citing lack of clarity on the award year, assessment criteria, panel composition, performance indicators, and contenders, and concerns about payment requirements for attendance.
7 June 2026 · Joy Online →