Ghana’s Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has charged a newly inaugurated Public Procurement Authority (PPA) board with the mission to clamp down on procurement abuse and ensure value for money across public contracts.
Addressing the board during its swearing-in ceremony, Dr. Forson stressed the urgent need to reform a system he says has cost the nation billions of cedis through inflated and improperly awarded contracts. He insisted that procurement reforms were no longer optional but a national imperative.
“The time for change is now,” he declared, urging the nine-member board to reject inappropriate contracts and instead embrace open, competitive tendering. “Sole sourcing must be the exception, not the norm,” he said pointedly.
Dr. Forson’s remarks signal a shift in government posture towards tackling inefficiencies and perceived corruption in public procurement—long considered a critical leak in Ghana’s public finance system. The minister warned that the era of unchecked contracts and loosely monitored processes is over.
In a recent Facebook post, Dr. Forson pointed to the amendment of the Public Procurement Act as a key tool in this fight. According to him, the revised legislation is designed to plug long-standing loopholes, enforce compliance more rigorously, and introduce tighter oversight measures.
To further buttress the system, he also revealed that a dedicated Value for Money Office will be established in the coming weeks to scrutinise public expenditure and flag potential abuses. This office, he indicated, will act as a watchdog, ensuring that every cedi spent by the government yields measurable public benefit.
The newly appointed PPA Governing Board is chaired by Mr. Basil Ahiable and includes respected professionals and public servants such as legal scholar Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, Members of Parliament Joycelyn Tetteh Quarshie and Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini, health expert Dr. Ahmed Zakaria Abdulai, and media personality Frank Mantey. Their mandate: restore public confidence in government procurement processes and protect state resources from waste.
Dr. Forson urged the board to rise above political and personal interests, and instead uphold integrity, diligence, and patriotism. “You are the custodians of the nation’s purse when it comes to procurement. Ghanaians are watching. The President is watching. The time to act is now.”
Public procurement accounts for a significant share of government expenditure in Ghana, especially in sectors like infrastructure, health, and education. However, for years, civil society groups and financial analysts have raised concerns about the misuse of sole sourcing and restrictive tendering, which often leaves room for inflated pricing, nepotism, and questionable contract awards.
The minister’s strong rhetoric, combined with the formation of the new board, reflects the growing urgency within government circles to curb financial waste at a time when Ghana is managing significant economic challenges.
If successful, the reforms may offer a blueprint for addressing corruption in other sectors—and could serve as a turning point in the country’s long-running struggle for financial discipline and accountability.
