Professor Rasford Gyampo, the new CEO of the Ghana Shippers Authority, is implementing an austerity agenda to address the Authority’s financial crisis.
This includes cost-cutting measures such as contract reviews, suspending incentives, and requiring all employees, including himself, to travel economy class.
Gyampo’s leadership style, rooted in his modest background and commitment to accountability, aims to set a new standard for public administration in Ghana.
In an interview with Adom FM, Professor Gyampo aims to reset the culture of leadership in public institutions, highlighting the non-partisan nature of his appointment by President John Dramani Mahama.
Among the key measures:
Travel Reform: All non-essential foreign travel has been suspended. When travel is approved, all staff—including the CEO—must fly economy class.
Contract Reviews: Existing contracts have been reviewed, with some renegotiated or terminated to secure better value for money.
Suspension of Incentives: Certain staff incentives have been paused temporarily to reduce expenditure and align with the Authority’s current financial reality.
“I travel economy class – and so will everyone else. I may be the only CEO in Ghana who does that today. But it is unthinkable and unethical to indulge in opulence while the institution I lead is bleeding.”
He further disclosed that he uses an old official vehicle strictly for work purposes and relies on his car for private events.
Prof. Gyampo’s leadership style, which he describes as grounded in simplicity and accountability, has sparked both admiration and criticism.
He dismissed recent allegations that he purchased a luxury massage chair for his office as “ignorant propaganda.”
Adding that, “That claim is not only false but senseless, competent propaganda isn’t for little minds. We are here to work, not indulge.”
