Health Ministry Blames Emergency For Single-Source Procurement Without Approval

The Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has attributed the decision to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) through sole sourcing to the emergency.

The auditor general’s report on Covid expenditure shows that the Minister entered into four contracts for the supply of PPEs at a cost of GH¢9,280,300.00 through single-source procurement without the approval of the Board of the Public Procurement Authority.

His action is contrary to Section 40 of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).

In responding to the auditor general’s findings, he explained that due to the emergency surrounding COVID-19, they had to carry out the contracts to save lives.

“The procurement, as a result, was executed without the scrutiny and transparency expected under the contract, hence the Ministry may not receive value for money”, the Auditor pointed out.

In his recommendation, the auditor said Agyeman-Manu must seek retroactive approval from the Board of the Public Procurement Authority.

Per the report, an amount of GH¢205,036,563.51 was used in purchasing PPEs as of 2021.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini