Chief Executive of the Public Procurement Authority says the establishment of two operational units is meant to end wanton abuse of sole sourcing.

Agyenim Boateng Adjei indicates the ultimate is to ensure value for money through audit.

He was addressing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives at a sensitization workshop in Kumasi on the amended Public Procurement Law.

The Public Procurement Act, Act 663 of 2003 was introduced to sanitise government procurement procedures and make it less prone to corruption.

Mr. Adjei explained, “The core reason for the promulgation of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) was to sanitise the government procurement system procedures, make it more transparent and less prone to corruption which hitherto had bedevilled government procurements.”

However, reckless abuse of sole sourcing and restricted tender methods have characterised application of the law.

“The quest to achieve a more transparent, corruption free procurement procedures has seen very little improvement in recent times as the country witnessed the unjustifiable abuse of sole sourcing to loot state resource,” he emphasized.

Officials say the purpose of introducing Due Diligence and Procurement Audit Units is to restore public confidence and credibility in sole sourcing.

It will provide technical advice on some public contracts through the authority.

Mr. Adjei says the Public Procurement Authority is now positioned to detect and combat corruption in the award of contracts.

“I must assure you that under my tenure, appropriate steps have been taken to forestall the wanton abuse of sole sourcing and restricted tendering methods to award government contracts,” Mr. Adjei has said.

Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, told Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives and procurement officers in state institutions to strictly adhere to the law to avoid sanctions.