The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has commended the leadership of the former Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company (GPC), David Asante, following a remarkable turnaround in the company’s performance during the period of his tenure.
Appearing before the committee on Friday, November 9, the current Managing Director presented the financial year under review, which covered the period of Mr Asante’s leadership. During the session, a Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, also a PAC member, highlighted the impressive growth: printing operations increased by almost 50 per cent, gazetting rose by 44 per cent, publications and forms went up by 34 per cent, while net assets surged by an extraordinary 3,000 per cent.
These results were said to reflect “very significant figures, showing a massive turnaround under the leadership of Mr David Asante,” as the MP put it, before questioning the current management on how they planned to sustain the momentum.
The PAC expressed keen interest in understanding the factors behind the sharp improvement and the measures being taken to consolidate progress. The committee praised GPC for its commendable performance and urged current management to build upon the foundation laid by Mr Asante, maintaining fiscal discipline, strengthening operational efficiency, and embracing innovation to sustain growth and public confidence.
Additional context affirms the turnaround narrative. Under Mr Asante’s leadership, the Ghana Publishing Company made notable strides in modernising infrastructure, introducing digital services and repositioning the institution. As one source noted, when he assumed the role (in 2017), the company “was facing significant challenges, including a low public image, poor patronage of products and services, and a deteriorating state of buildings and machinery.”
He introduced reforms such as an IT department, a call centre and delivery service, and new service‑offerings including a Premium Gazette Service and e‑Gazette application system. These developments were credited with improving efficiency and profitability. In an interview dated July 2024, Mr Asante stated that GPC had established new production units with modern machines, audited accounts were up to date, salary arrears cleared and the company was recording profits year‑on‑year.
The performance improvement had earlier been acknowledged in 2019, when he and other SOE heads were commended by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) for repositioning their agencies from loss‑making to competitive, profit‑making status.
The PAC’s commendation thus appears grounded in observable institutional reform and performance gains. The committee’s focus now shifts to ensuring that the current leadership consolidates those gains so that the turnaround is durable, not just episodic.
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