Audio By Carbonatix
Procurement minister-designate Sarah Adwoa Safo is before the Appointments Committee of Parliament vetting the last batch of 54 nominations for ministerial posts.
The lawyer who is also the Deputy Majoirty leader has justified the decison of the Akufo-Addo government to create the position of the Minister of State in charge of public procurement.
There is already a Chief Executive of the Public Procurement Authority which ensures that public instutitions operate within Public Procurement Act.
Answering questions about a potential clash of roles between her role as procurement minister and the PPA, Adjoa Safo who holds a Masters' in Public Procurement stressed her work is to advise government. She will be an internal check within the government.
"No way will there be conflict with PPA. It will rather go on and empower it", she told MPs Monday.
Public procurement was a 2016 campaign issue with the NPP accusing the NDC government of failing to ensure value for money in the cost of contracts and projects.
The NPP lamented that a provision in the law for sole-sourcing of projects was abused several times by the NDC in order to dish out contracts to cronies. The then Minority leader Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu has said that since the coming into force of the Public Procurement Act 663 (2003) more than 80 percent of government contracts have been awarded through sole-sourcing.
Adwoa Safo stressed at her vetting, the NPP government has put in place measures it believes will address the potential abuse of the law through sole-sourcing.
She said, government has placed a 50 million cedi ceiling for contracts awarded through sole-sourcing. Any cost beyond this level must be brought to cabinet for parliamentary approval, she said.
"I can assure Ghanaians we will minimise the use of sole-sourcing" Adwoa Safo said. The minister-designate said she will help ensure government mets its campaign promise to reserve 70% of all taxpayer funded contracts and procurement for local businesses.
Latest Stories
-
Meta disregarded its own research on teen harm, Tennessee tells jury
44 minutes -
Ghana faces a deadly gap between rising heat and its slow-growing electricity supply – Report
2 hours -
Climate change projected to cause more AC adoption for the wealthy and shorter lives for the poor – Report
2 hours -
UBA Ghana calls for deeper collaboration with faith-based organisations to support vulnerable communities
3 hours -
2026 Commonwealth Games: Zinabu Issah wins Ghana’s first medal
3 hours -
Infantino tells Fifa critics to ‘meditate, pray or watch football’
3 hours -
Record Spurs spend shows new ambition – Van de Ven
4 hours -
Rogers and Palmer can play together – Alonso
4 hours -
Diomande agrees Real Madrid terms as PSG step away
4 hours -
Inter in advanced talks with England defender Stones
4 hours -
Chelsea open talks to sign Henderson and Welbeck
4 hours -
Ex-convict jailed for unlawful entry and stealing
4 hours -
Unemployed gets 12 years jail term for robbing a traderÂ
5 hours -
AG hauls former N.N. Est, M.N.D. Metals General Manager to court over alleged $280,000 theft Â
5 hours -
Interior Ministry inaugurates new Audit Committee to strengthen accountability
5 hours