By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, Jan. 08, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has lauded Nana Kwasi Boatey, the Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company Limited and his team Management for turning around the fortunes of the Company over the last 10 months.
The President gave the commendation during a working visiting to the Company in Accra.
The visit, which forms part of the President’s one-day tour of state-owned media houses, earlier took him to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL).
The President, accompanied by Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Presidential Spokesman and Minister of State in-charge of Government Communications, undertook the working visit as part of efforts to get to know the challenges facing the various state-owned media houses.
At the Ghana Publishing Company Ltd where the President brought his one-day tour to a close, he lauded the Managing Director, Nana Kwasi Boatey and his team of Management for their outstanding performance and turning the Company’s fortunes around within a period of 10 months.
President Mahama, who address a mini durbar of the staff, also commissioned a Digital Printing Centre for the Company.
According to the Management of the Ghana Publishing Company, its fortunes turned around when they decided to institute the 24-Hour Economy Policy by establishing the 24-hour two-shift system.
“Your financials have improved dramatically, and I’m sure that in the coming years they’re going to improve even further,” the President said.
“You are the example that state-owned enterprises do not necessarily need to be lost making enterprises.
“You can run state-owned enterprises successfully and make a profit to be able to create employment and to pay a dividend to your shareholder.
“And so, I want to commend your management for what they have done, and we should set this up as an example to other SOEs (State-Owned Enterprises).”
The President recalled that at the beginning of his administration, under the auspices of State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA), he met all the state-owned enterprises and urged them to turn around the story that they have inherited.
“And I believe that Ghana Publishing, when we meet again early this year, to look at the progress that SOEs have made, will be one of those that we hold up as a success story.”
President Mahama said because the Ghana Publishing Company is the state publisher, the Minister of Finance had announced several programmes in the coming budgets to include printing of textbooks for basic schools, the Government would ensure that huge portion of the contracting for printing government text books would be awarded to the Ghana Publishing Company, as part of efforts to strengthen its revenue generation.
“We will make sure that that is done, so that you can use that to continue to retool and improve the work that you do for the government. I want to encourage you to continue what you are doing.”
“I am informed that you received a 13-month salary. And you have also received a 40 per cent increase on your salary.”
The President told the staff that if they keep working harder, those increases would even be more than they had been.
Nana Boatey, who took office in February 2025, briefing the President said without the introduction of the two-shift system, they would have been forced to lay off about a hundred workers due to the over staff population.
He noted that, when he came into office the Company’s bank balance was four hundred thousand Ghana cedis and that January 2025 salaries were paid through a bank overdraft.
He said following the instruction of the 24-hour working two shift system, in December 2025, they were able to pay salaries and even added a 13th month salary to all staff of the Company.
He said as of yesterday, January 07, 2026, the Company had fix deposit of GH¢15 million in the last ten months.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
