Kwame Prempeh, a former deputy chief executive of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), has stated that the extensive use of single-source contracts for road projects is deliberate, not the result of poor planning.
Speaking on The Forum on Saturday (28 March), Prempeh explained that while single-source procurement is legal under Act 663 in specific circumstances, such as emergencies or standardisation, its application must be scrutinised.
He argued that state agencies often create artificial emergencies by failing to plan, thereby forcing the PPA to approve non-competitive tenders to avoid delays in critical services.
However, he noted that in the current context, given the government’s prior rhetoric against the practice, the scale of single-source awards is “deliberate.”
He challenged the government, saying, “No one can tell me… they came into power, knew that these things were there, knew what we could do to avoid these things. For me, it is deliberate.”
Kwame Prempeh also cautioned that Ghana’s newly passed Value for Money (VfM) Act and the Procurement Amendment Act risk worsening inefficiencies in the public procurement system rather than resolving them.
Prempeh argued that the laws introduce additional bureaucratic layers without addressing the structural weaknesses that have long plagued procurement processes in the country.
According to him, one of the most troubling provisions is the requirement for all public institutions to seek ministerial approval for procurement activities, regardless of the value involved.
“As we sit here, if a public entity is going to buy something worth 10,000 cedis, per the law, they must go and ask permission from the Minister,” he said, warning that such centralised approval mechanisms could significantly delay routine government operations.
Prempeh criticised the passage of the laws, stating that key stakeholders—particularly procurement practitioners—were not adequately consulted during the drafting process.
He further argued that the additional approval requirements could inadvertently worsen the very problem they seek to solve. According to him, delays in procurement approvals often create pressure on institutions to meet project timelines, pushing them towards non-competitive methods such as single-source contracting.
“These delays will ultimately lead to more single-source contracts as agencies rush to meet deadlines,” he explained, describing the situation as a “vicious cycle” that undermines transparency and value for money.
While acknowledging that oversight is necessary, Prempeh maintained that the new framework merely duplicates existing structures rather than strengthening them.
“It is a duplication of what is already there,” he said, adding that the focus should instead be on empowering procurement officers within ministries, departments and agencies to make informed and timely decisions.
He stressed that improving capacity, professionalism and independence within procurement units would be more effective than introducing additional layers of control from the centre.
The new legislation forms part of broader government efforts to tighten procurement oversight and ensure prudent use of public funds.
However, Prempeh’s comments add to a growing debate among policy experts and industry players over whether the reforms will achieve their intended objectives or further complicate Ghana’s procurement regime.
In a related development, a senior procurement officer, Baffour Antoa Mensah, has urged John Dramani Mahama to delay assent to the Value for Money (VfM) Bill, warning that the proposed law could complicate Ghana’s already burdened procurement system.
Speaking on Asaase Radio’s The Forum on Saturday (28 March), Mensah—who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Ghana branch of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply—said the bill risks introducing an additional layer of bureaucracy without addressing core inefficiencies in public procurement.
He described the legislation as a “hell of trouble,” cautioning that its implementation could slow down decision-making across state institutions.
Mensah appealed to the president to invoke his constitutional powers to return the bill to Parliament for reconsideration, aligning with concerns raised by procurement professionals that the law may hinder, rather than improve, efficiency.
“I strongly want to call on the president… to delay signing that bill. He knows what to do under the constitutional provision to return it back to Parliament, giving reasons,” he said.
His comments come amid growing debate over procurement reforms and their potential impact on governance and public spending.
Beyond the legislation, Mensah also weighed in on the ongoing controversy surrounding the “Big Push” road contracts, which have been the subject of an investigation by the Media Foundation for West Africa’s Fourth Estate project.
While acknowledging that single-source procurement is permitted under Ghana’s procurement framework in specific circumstances, he stressed that the legality of such contracts depends on proper justification under Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663).
To strengthen public scrutiny, he called on the Fourth Estate to expand its investigation by filing a Right to Information (RTI) request directly with the Public Procurement Authority.
According to him, approvals for single-source procurement must be backed by clear justifications that fall within Section 41 of the Act, which outlines the conditions under which non-competitive methods can be used.
“I think they will do us good when they also file for the right to information from the Public Procurement Authority—why they granted all those things, whether it falls within Section 41 of the Act,” he said.
Mensah explained that obtaining such information would provide critical context, helping to determine whether procurement rules were properly followed or potentially abused.
His intervention adds a new dimension to the ongoing national conversation on procurement practices, transparency, and accountability, particularly as scrutiny intensifies over large-scale government projects and the legal frameworks governing them.
