President John Mahama has directed all Chief Executive Officers of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to submit their audited accounts and annual reports by the end of April 2026, warning that failure to comply will attract consequences.

The President issued the directive while addressing members of the Ghanaian community in Zambia on Wednesday, February 4, during an engagement held as part of his official visit.

He expressed concern that several state-owned enterprises have failed to meet their statutory reporting obligations for several years, a situation he said has weakened transparency and accountability in the public sector.

“There are many state-owned enterprises that for seven to eight years have never produced an annual report, even though it is mandatory for them to do so,” President Mahama noted.

Describing the situation as unacceptable, he said his administration would no longer tolerate such lapses and had therefore set clear deadlines to compel compliance.

“This year, I have made it clear that woe betide any chief executive of a state-owned enterprise who, by the end of April — which is the target date — has not completed their audits and submitted their annual reports,” he warned.

Although he did not specify the exact sanctions that would be applied, the President signalled that decisive action would be taken against defaulting officials.

“I won’t say what will happen,” he added, underscoring the seriousness of the directive.