‘Show the records’ – Boatey challenges former GPCL boss to account for GH¢22m VAT debt

The managing director of the Ghana Publishing Company Limited, Nana Kwasi Boatey, has issued a stringent challenge to his predecessor, David Asante Boateng, demanding documentary proof to substantiate recent claims regarding the state-owned enterprise’s financial health and operational achievements. This public confrontation, which erupted following Boateng’s attempts to claim credit for the company’s recent turnaround, centers on a stark divergence in accounting for the institution’s assets, profitability, and a staggering twenty-two million cedi Value Added Tax liability inherited by the current administration.

The governance of state-owned enterprises in Ghana falls under the rigorous oversight of the Ministry of Finance, the Auditor-General, and sector-specific ministries, all of which are mandated to ensure fiscal discipline, transparent leadership transitions, and the maximization of public assets. When a state corporation pivots from recording marginal profits to generating substantial revenue, the foundational expectation is that the handover process between outgoing and incoming executives is meticulously documented. Furthermore, institutions like the Ghana Revenue Authority maintain strict statutory oversight over tax compliance. When legacy debts, such as unremitted Value Added Tax, surface years after they were accrued, it exposes critical vulnerabilities in historical corporate governance and places the burden of regulatory compliance squarely on the shoulders of the current management, regardless of when the infractions occurred.

Addressing the dispute with a commitment to empirical evidence rather than political theater, Boatey outlined the verifiable milestones achieved during his eighteen-month tenure. Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at the Presidency on November 2, 2026, he detailed the implementation of a three-shift production system, the establishment of a modern Digital Press Centre, and the securing of a 1.5 million euro investment to retool the production line. He also highlighted a dramatic improvement in the company’s bottom line, noting that the Auditor-General’s 2025 financial statements reflect a profit after tax of 16.9 million cedis, a massive leap from the 2.4 million cedis recorded in 2024. However, this operational renaissance is heavily offset by the twenty-two million cedi tax demand from the Ghana Revenue Authority, covering the period between 2020 and 2024.

Boatey directed a series of highly specific, document-backed questions at Boateng, challenging the former managing director to clarify the exact state of the company’s finances at the time of the February 2024 handover. He questioned whether salaries were being serviced through bank overdrafts and demanded an explanation as to why VAT payments for 2020 and 2024 were allegedly recorded as zero cedis. Furthermore, Boatey raised the issue of a Land Cruiser inherited in 2017, questioning whether it was damaged beyond repair and subsequently lost due to unpaid insurance premiums before the handover. Refusing to engage in mutual hostility, Boatey stated that he would not respond to insults with insults, but would instead set out the facts, invite correction where evidence supports it, and leave the records to speak. He emphasized that his inquiry was not rooted in rhetorical posturing, asserting that these are matters capable of documentary verification, and offered to open the company’s tax correspondence, bank statements, and asset registries to independent auditors.

This fierce demand for accountability represents a critical stress test for corporate governance within Ghana’s public sector. The transition of leadership in state-owned enterprises is frequently marred by opaque handovers and the sudden discovery of legacy liabilities, which can cripple an incoming administration’s ability to execute its mandate. By insisting that the debate be settled through auditable records rather than public relations campaigns, Boatey is attempting to enforce a standard of institutional memory that protects the state’s assets from historical negligence. Ultimately, the resolution of this dispute will depend entirely on the production of verifiable financial records, reinforcing the principle that public stewardship must be a contest of documented achievements, ensuring that the citizens of Ghana are provided with a transparent and unassailable account of how their resources are managed.

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