Professor Bokpin warns that IMF-backed reforms in Ghana must specifically target the nation's persistent energy crisis and improve policy coordination within state-owned enterprises like ECG.

Four German individuals have been indicted for allegedly torturing, raping, and abusing a homeless woman for weeks in Soest, leaving her needing months of hospital treatment after her rescue.

The Pakistani government is considering an exemption from International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for energy State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). However, the CMU opposes a five-year relief, warning of hidden fiscal risks and potential Rs500 billion losses.

Soestdijk Palace in the Netherlands is undergoing significant maintenance work to restore its exterior, which has suffered from rotten window frames, peeling stucco, and leaking gutters. Construction workers have been active for several months to bring the palace back to good condition.

Dr. Richmond Atuahene, a banking consultant, has called for the transfer of management of non-strategic state-owned enterprises in Ghana, such as GIHOC Distilleries and State Transport, to the private sector. He argues that these entities place an unnecessary burden on the state.

Only 61 out of 185 state-owned enterprises and other specified entities in Ghana submitted their 2025 financial statements to the State Interests and Governance Authority by the April 30 statutory deadline.

Vietnam has outlined special mechanisms aimed at boosting its strategic reserves and strengthening State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).

China has created a new government bureau tasked with overseeing the overseas assets of its state-owned enterprises (SOEs), aiming to enhance management and transparency.

Ghana's insurance market is experiencing a quiet structural reordering, driven by shifts in competition and coordination among key players like SIGA and SIC. This includes a public refutation of SIC MD's claim that a December 2025 SIGA letter was merely an "encouragement" for state entity insurance placements, with the letter now revealed to be a directive.

The privatization of bankrupt State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) is presented as a solution to economic dilemmas, advocating for their sale in a transparent and orderly manner.

Economist Professor Peter Quartey has urged the government to strictly enforce performance targets for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to reduce inefficiencies and curb financial losses.

Employees of state-owned enterprises and autonomous institutions under government patronage in Pakistan will face salary cuts of five to 30 per cent as part of new austerity measures aimed at public relief.

China's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the construction sector are being urged to prioritize technological innovation to drive modernization and efficiency.

South Africa has been given a narrow window to turn the ship around. Whether this Budget becomes a footnote or a foundation depends on what happens next — in Cabinet, in the SOEs, in municipalities and in the daily grind of governance

Romanian Deputy Prime Minister Gheorghiu is facing a deadline to analyze and make restructuring decisions for 22 state-owned enterprises.

Chinese central state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are consolidating their scattered overseas accounts into unified treasury hubs, with Hong Kong emerging as the preferred base amid a broader crackdown on state cash outflows.

A homeless woman was allegedly tortured and raped for months in Soest, Germany, before an 18-year-old neighbor discovered the victim by chance and alerted the police.

Over thirty years after the last American soldiers left, military uniforms are returning to Soesterberg, Netherlands. While older residents have positive memories, new residents express concerns about the impact on liveability.

Discussions are ongoing regarding states of emergency and the perception of control they offer. Experts are examining whether such measures truly provide effective governance or merely create an illusion of order.

Romania's deputy prime minister has warned that the restructuring of three state-owned enterprises (SOEs) under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) may fall behind schedule.

State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in Vietnam are being encouraged to leverage the stock market as a means to secure capital for their growth and development initiatives.

Former President Mahama has stated that his government successfully revived several collapsing State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), including TOR, ADB, and NIB. He also urged the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to actively address the mismanagement of SOEs.

The Romanian Prime Minister has announced a comprehensive restructuring plan for state-owned enterprises (SOEs), which includes the possibility of listing some of them on the stock market.

The Managing Director of SIC Life Insurance revealed that a Deputy Minister of Finance verbally instructed state-owned enterprises to conduct business with SIC Life Insurance during the company's board inauguration.

In terms of rankings, the Environmental Protection Agency emerged as top ranked, out of the more than 100 SOEs captured in the review and assessment.

Concerns about the performance and management of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) have resurfaced following renewed warnings from government that loss-making entities will be reformed, merged,…

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved salary deductions of up to 30% for employees of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) as part of new austerity measures.

China is highlighting the importance of technological innovation for its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the construction sector to drive modernization and efficiency.

After the Bell: Fixing SOEs but only one crisis at a time  Daily Maverick

• Accumulated losses hit Rs2.07tr by June 2025; half of it piled up in just three years • Outstanding loans stand near Rs3.1tr, debt rising Rs300bn a year • Financing cost reaches Rs210bn in FY25, highest among SOEs ISLAMABAD: Carrying the largest outstanding loan portfolio on its books and a negative return on assets, the National Highway Authority (NHA) — the country’s logistics backbone — is the single largest entity bleeding the federal budget, exposing Pakistan to substantial fiscal risk despite the recent doubling of tolls. The NHA is the “largest loss-maker”, operating on a “structural deficit model and reliant on budgetary support”, the Central Monitoring Unit (CMU) of the Ministry of Finance said in its Annual Aggregate Report on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) for the year ended June 30, 2025. With accumulated losses of Rs2.074 trillion, the entity that owns and operates all the national highways and motorways accrued around Rs1.004tr in the last three years alone — about Rs295 billion each in FY24 and FY25 and Rs413bn in FY23. Moreover, it stands out at the top of the SOE list, with the largest accrued financing cost of Rs210bn in FY25, as its toll revenue remains unaligned with debt servicing, leading to fiscal dependence and sovereign guarantee exposure. “Currently, the NHA holds outstanding loans totalling approximately Rs3.1tr, with an annual debt accretion rate of Rs300bn. This debt portfolio generates Rs98bn in markup, which is expected to rise to more than Rs150bn per annum, creating a substantial credit risk for the government of Pakistan (GoP), which guarantees these loans”, the CMA said. It said the presence of sovereign guarantees for public-private partnership (PPP) contracts added further financial strain, amplifying the government’s credit risk exposure. With more than Rs115 billion in loans given by the federal government last year, it is also among the top borrowers. On the other hand, its net assets remained almost static over the last three years, actually declining slightly from Rs5.84tr in FY23 to Rs5.83tr in FY25. Its total equity has been declining over time from Rs2.57tr in FY23 to Rs2.27tr in FY24 and Rs1.95tr in FY25. Conversely, NHA’s total liabilities have been increasing, making it the single-largest entity to accrue current liabilities. Its total liabilities amounted to Rs3.27tr in FY23, increasing to Rs3.54tr in FY24 and reaching Rs3.88tr by the end of FY25. The CMU observed that National Highway Authority’s 2025 performance underscored its strategic importance yet exposed growing fiscal vulnerability. “Despite an impressive surge in toll revenues and build, own and transfer (BOT) project inflows, the authority continues to operate under a persistent deficit, driven by high depreciation and finance costs,” it said. Operating income rose sharply to Rs83.1bn in FY25 (against Rs42.4bn in FY24), propelled by the doubling of toll income to Rs64.4bn. However, the overall income of Rs119.7bn remained insufficient against total expenditures of Rs408.1bn. Consequently, the deficit before levy and taxation stood at Rs292.98bn and the deficit after tax at Rs294.86bn, reflecting continued structural stress. It noted that two critical components eroded National Highway Authority’s profitability. These include depreciation expense of Rs133.8bn, reflecting a heavily capital-intensive asset base and growing maintenance backlog and Rs193.5bn finance cost, up from Rs182bn last year, highlighting the escalating burden of debt and interest rate exposure. The CMU advised diversification of funding sources through infrastructure bonds targeted at domestic institutional investors and international development markets. It said the expansion of public-private partnerships for new road construction, maintenance outsourcing and service area development can shift part of the fiscal and operational burden to the private sector while improving efficiency and service quality. The CMU also called for renegotiating loan terms with lenders to extend maturities, reduce interest rates or convert debt into quasi-equity instruments to create immediate fiscal space. Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2026

The International Monetary Fund has recommended that government board appointments for State-Owned Enterprises should be based solely on merit, also suggesting a strategic review of the SOE portfolio.

Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson says the unchecked liabilities of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) added the equivalent of about 3% of Ghana's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the country's…

The restoration work on the façade of the former royal palace of Soestdijk in the Netherlands is expected to take up to five years to complete.

Central State-Owned Enterprises in China are being encouraged to intensify their digital transformation efforts, while Slovenia is noted for lagging in digitalization and needing immediate acceleration.

A World Bank study indicates that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Bangladesh have incurred losses amounting to Tk88,200 crore, significantly impacting the national treasury.

Swedish photographer Lars Tunbjörk's candid photographs expose a wonderfully strange aspect of his home country, offering a unique perspective that might temper envy for Swedish affluence.

A Zimbabwean firm is reportedly collaborating with a Chinese investor consortium to enhance the performance and operations of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in Zimbabwe.

South African State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) such as Transnet and Prasa continue to grapple with significant financial, operational, and governance challenges. These issues are attributed to the lingering effects of state capture, despite ongoing recovery efforts.

Policy think tank IMANI Africa has urged Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in what it describes as emerging 'legal and procurement risks' concerning how state institutions select insurance providers, warning of potential issues with recent shifts in placements.

State-owned enterprises in China's energy construction sector are intensifying their efforts towards green development and sustainability.

Professor of Economics and immediate past Director of the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana Prof.

A government directive has been issued, prohibiting all loss-making State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) from paying bonuses to their management, boards, and staff.

Prabowo is reportedly pressuring Danantara with specific return targets and has appointed new envoys for State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).

President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana has issued a directive prohibiting international travel for training, conferences, retreats, and study tours for boards of state-owned enterprises and public institutions, citing rising costs.

Daily Maverick reports on the ongoing efforts to fix State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in South Africa, highlighting the challenge of addressing multiple crises simultaneously.