On Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Prof Samuel Kwaku Bonsu, Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), confirmed that the university does not receive routine financial allocations from the government, despite its public status.
He explained that GIMPA functions under a financial autonomy arrangement mandated by its establishing law, meaning the institute must generate and manage its own funds. “We receive no money from the government. No money at all,” Prof Bonsu said, adding that the university does occasionally receive state support for specific projects and programmes.
Under this autonomy, GIMPA’s governing council, not Parliament or a ministry, oversees all financial decisions. “We raise and spend our money within the broader confines of the laws of the state,” he stated. The arrangement places significant pressure on the institution to secure sufficient revenue to cover its operational costs.
Prof Bonsu cited the COVID‑19 pandemic as a critical test, noting that GIMPA operated for about eleven months without income while still incurring expenses. With no regular government funding to fall back on, the university’s reserves were depleted, forcing it to seek external assistance and borrow to meet essential needs.
In response, GIMPA implemented austerity measures and structural reforms to curb unnecessary spending and boost efficiency. The rector emphasized that financial independence does not mean the absence of all government aid, but rather that day‑to‑day fiscal responsibilities lie largely with the institution.
He concluded that GIMPA’s experience underscores the importance of robust financial planning and disciplined management for entities operating with substantial autonomy.
