Transparency, stronger rules required in sole-sourcing — Damoah

The Director of Media Relations of Parliament, David Sebastian Damoah, has stated that with stronger rules, transparency, and effective oversight, sole-sourcing can deliver timely results without compromising value for money.

“I believe sole-sourcing should not be abolished, but it must be tightly controlled to protect public funds while still allowing urgent projects to proceed,” he stressed.

Speaking in an interview, Mr Damoah said: “Sole-sourcing should remain a strict exception rather than a routine procurement method as contained in section 40(1) (a, b, c, d, e and f) of the Public Procurement, 2003 Act 663 as amended.”

He pointed out that to achieve this objective, clear, well-defined criteria must guide when it is permitted, and these rules must be enforced consistently. This alone would significantly reduce abuse.

Transparency

He explained that transparency was also critical in sole-sourcing.

“I strongly advocate that all sole-sourced contracts be publicly disclosed, including the justification for using this method, the contractor selected, and the total cost. When information is accessible, it becomes much harder to inflate prices or favour specific parties,” he stated.

He stressed the need for an independent review, especially for high-value contracts.

“A neutral body can interrogate decisions, assess pricing, and ensure that the process truly serves the public interest.”

“Even within sole-sourcing, value for money must be demonstrated. Government should benchmark costs against similar projects or prevailing market rates to prevent overpricing,” he emphasised.

Digital

Mr Damoah said strengthening digital procurement systems and investing in continuous training for officials will enhance accountability and reduce excessive discretion.

“Ultimately, the goal is not to eliminate sole-sourcing, but to discipline its use.

With stronger rules, transparency, and effective oversight, it can deliver timely results without compromising value for money,” he stated.

He said clear, well-defined criteria “must guide when it is permitted, and these rules must be enforced consistently.

This alone would significantly reduce abuse.”

“I strongly advocate that all sole-sourced contracts be publicly disclosed, including the justification for the sole-source approach, the selected contractor, and the total cost.

When information is accessible, it becomes much harder to inflate prices or favour specific parties,” he stressed.