The Institute, in a report, stated that the sole sourced contracts involving over GHC12 billion appears to have been motivated more by corruption other than development.
“The actual cost of the current situation is that we are throwing too much money at far fewer projects and the nation could have developed far faster if only government would adhere to the letter of and principles behind the public procurement law,” the Institute noted in the report signed by its Executive Director, Nana Attobrah Quaicoe.
According to the report, the contracts awarded showed how the NDC government is insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians by “its failure to recognise the importance of value for money, the need to protect the public purse and the integrity of the tax system.”
Giving an example to buttress their point, the Institute mentioned the contract awarded to ABP Ltd on sole sourcing basis by Cocobod for the supply of 3,000 cartons of A.T. pesticide for GH₵15,480,000.00 when the tendering process could have been opened to Ghanaian companies.
“Our checks show that this could have been competitively done at GH¢150.00 a carton instead of the GH¢516.00 ABP is being paid through sole sourcing. This means that our farmers could have received three and a half times more pesticides if the procurement was subjected to competitive tender,” the report added.
With this and other examples, the Institute asked Ghanaians to demand accountability from the NDC and asked them to account for the values placed on the various projects as they are unconscionably excessive.