President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Cabinet has approved the National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Action Plan (2026–2030) for onward submission to Parliament, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and good governance.

Speaking at the 4th Ghana Civil Society Forum (GCSF) 2026 in Accra, President Mahama described the approval as a significant milestone in Ghana’s efforts to strengthen integrity in public service and intensify the fight against corruption.

“Accountability and the fight against corruption are essential to democratic consolidation, and I wish to use this platform to restate my commitment to transparent and accountable governance,” the President said.

He noted that the new action plan builds on the foundation of the 10-year National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) launched during his previous administration in 2015.

“I’m pleased to report to you that just yesterday, Cabinet approved the new National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2026 to 2030 for onward transmission to Parliament,” he announced.

President Mahama said the plan forms part of broader reforms aimed at promoting ethical leadership, strengthening public sector accountability, and improving transparency in the management of public resources.

The President also revealed that Cabinet had directed the Attorney General to draft a State Assets Protection Bill, which will establish clear legal guidelines for the disposal of state assets, including lands, buildings, factories, industries, and other public properties.

According to him, the proposed legislation is intended to prevent the arbitrary disposal of public assets by any government and ensure they are managed in the national interest.

President Mahama made the announcements while addressing participants at the 2026 Ghana Civil Society Forum, which brought together government officials, civil society organisations, development partners, and governance experts to discuss partnerships for democratic consolidation and inclusive national development.

President John Dramani Mahama has announced that his government will introduce a State Assets Protection Bill to establish strict legal guidelines for the disposal of public assets and prevent their arbitrary sale by successive governments.

Speaking at the 4th Ghana Civil Society Forum (GCSF) 2026 in Accra, the President said Cabinet had directed the Attorney General to draft the legislation as part of broader efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability, and good governance.

According to President Mahama, the proposed law will regulate the disposal of state-owned properties, including lands, buildings, factories, industries, and other public assets, to ensure they are protected in the national interest.

“I’m also happy to announce to you that yesterday Cabinet took a decision directing the Attorney General to draft a bill for the protection of state assets. It’s called the State Assets Protection Bill. It sets out the guidelines under which any state asset can be disposed of, including lands, buildings, factories, industries, so that no government just capriciously disposes of state assets,” he said.

The President stressed that accountability and the fight against corruption remain central to Ghana’s democratic consolidation, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to transparent and accountable governance.

He also disclosed that Cabinet had approved the National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Action Plan (2026–2030) for onward submission to Parliament. The new policy framework succeeds the 10-year National Anti-Corruption Action Plan launched during his previous administration in 2015.

“Accountability and the fight against corruption are essential to democratic consolidation, and I wish to use this platform to restate my commitment to transparent and accountable governance,” President Mahama told participants.

The 2026 Ghana Civil Society Forum brought together government officials, civil society organisations, development partners, and other stakeholders to discuss partnerships for democratic consolidation and inclusive national development. President Mahama attended the forum as the Guest of Honour.

As global anticipation builds toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup, stakeholders in Ghana’s creative and tourism sectors are raising concerns over what they describe as the slow rollout of the country’s flagship cultural tourism initiative, the Black Star Experience.

The initiative, launched on May 1, 2025 at the Black Star Square by President John Dramani Mahama, was positioned as a transformative national programme to project Ghana’s culture, boost tourism and strengthen Brand Ghana. However, 14 months after its unveiling, industry voices say its impact remains largely invisible.

With many countries already leveraging the global football tournament to position their culture and tourism industries, some creative sector players argue that Ghana is yet to fully activate its own strategy to benefit from the global attention.

Communications expert and tourism consultant, Francis Doku, believes the Secretariat should have taken a leading role in coordinating tourism, arts, culture and national branding efforts ahead of the tournament. He notes that such coordination is not yet evident in the public space.

Arts and culture journalist Kwame Dadzie also expressed concern over the perceived lack of progress, questioning the visibility of the initiative’s key pillars.

“Fourteen months after the launch, Ghana is yet to experience the Black Star. The initiative was built around seven pillars, cinema, music, cuisine, aesthetics, fashion, literature and heritage. Where are they? Which of these pillars has been activated in a way the public can see and appreciate?” he asked.

He further argued that the World Cup presented a major opportunity for Ghana to promote its culture globally, adding that other countries are already advancing similar strategies.

“The silence around the initiative is becoming too loud. We have not capitalised on this moment to push the Experience Ghana agenda as expected,” he said.

Popular disc jockey and entertainment entrepreneur DJ Ashmen also warned that the initiative risks losing public confidence if tangible results continue to lag behind expectations.

He described the concept as one of the most promising cultural policy ideas in recent years, but stressed that visibility and public engagement are critical to its success.

“If it is meant to be a 365-day celebration of Ghanaian culture, then people must see and experience it. Without that, it becomes just another good idea that never fully materialised,” he said.

Responding to concerns, Black Star Experience Coordinator Rex Omar attributed the initial slow pace to funding challenges. In earlier comments on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, he explained that the Secretariat was set up after the 2025 national budget had already been approved, leaving no initial budgetary allocation for its operations.

“Most of our planned projects could not be executed because there was no dedicated budget allocation for the Secretariat,” he said, adding that all activities required administrative clearance as an office under the Presidency, which also affected implementation speed.

He noted that the Secretariat focused the period on groundwork, including partnerships, memoranda of understanding and pilot initiatives such as Creative Connect Afrika and Taste the Culture.

According to him, a budget proposal for 2026 has been submitted and defended, with expectations that improved funding will allow full implementation of the programme’s vision.

“We have done the preparatory work. Once funding becomes available, Ghanaians will begin to see the full vision unfold,” he said.

Despite these assurances, stakeholders say the situation raises broader questions about planning, timing and execution of one of Ghana’s most ambitious cultural branding initiatives.