Chairman of Parliament Public Accounts Committee James Klutse Avedzi is advocating for the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to be subjected to parliamentary vetting.

According to him, this measure is intended to curb perceived corruption and strengthen accountability within the Public Procurement Authority.

It follows the committee identifying procurement as the main avenue for corruption in the public sector.

In an interview with JoyNews, Mr Avedzi recommended an amendment of the appointment procedure for the head of the PPA to address the abuse of the sole source procurement model.

He also lamented that the low salaries received by heads of the PPA contribute to the risk of corruption in the position.

“The appointment to that position as a Chief Executive or Director General of Public Procurement Authority, we should look at it again. If I am appointed by a political head, and that political head, there is a request through a sole sourcing that doesn’t satisfy the condition and that political head puts a call through saying work on that, what will you do?

“Those sensitive positions must be appointed through a competitive bidding process. Advertise, let people apply – parliament can vet the person.”

Mr Avedzi further stressed the need for a fixed tenure for the appointed CEO, arguing that defined term limits would empower the candidate to act with integrity and make decisions independently, thereby promoting accountability in the role.