The Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Alhassan Suhuyini, has rejected claims that government infrastructure projects are largely awarded through sole sourcing, insisting that proper procurement processes are being followed in many cases.
Speaking on JoyNews Newsfile on Saturday, 28 March, during discussions on the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme, Mr Suhuyini maintained that the narrative suggesting widespread sole sourcing does not reflect the reality on the ground.
“Not all works are procured through sole sourcing, and the evidence is there,” he said.
He further clarified that even within the Big Push programme, a significant number of projects have not been awarded through sole sourcing.
“Secondly, under this Big Push, not all of them were procured under sole sourcing. In fact, by our estimate, they (NPP) can disagree with it,” he stated.
The comments follow a report by The Fourth Estate, a project of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), which raised concerns about procurement practices under the Big Push programme.
The report highlighted the extensive use of sole sourcing and potential cost inflation, alleging that 81 contracts valued at over GH¢73 billion were awarded through sole sourcing within seven months.
However, Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has disputed the claims, stating that only 44% of major contracts under the programme were sole-sourced.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com