By Jibril Abdul Mumuni
Accra, July 23, GNA– Government has announced plans to reduce the procurement lead time for goods under the National Competitive Tendering process from 23 weeks to eight weeks.
This forms part of efforts to speed up project delivery and improve efficiency in public spending.
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Minister of Finance Minister, was presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review to Parliament on Thursday.
Under Section 28 of the Public Financial Management Act, the Finance Minister is required to present the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the Government of Ghana to Parliament.
The reform is part of proposed amendments to the Public Procurement Act aimed at shortening procurement timelines, limiting the use of single-source procurement and tightening restricted tendering procedures.
Under the proposals, the lead time for National Competitive Tendering for goods will be reduced from 23 weeks to eight weeks, while International Competitive Tendering for works will decline from 27 weeks to 14 weeks.
The Minister said competitive tendering would remain the preferred procurement method, while single-source and restricted tendering would be allowed only under exceptional circumstances.
He stressed that urgency resulting from poor planning would no longer be considered grounds for single-source procurement.
Under the new procurement reforms, the Government is also proposing sanctions for approvals granted in breach of the Public Procurement Act as part of efforts to strengthen accountability in the use of public funds.
The proposed reforms come against the backdrop of recurring procurement breaches highlighted in recent Auditor-General’s reports.
In 2024, the Auditor-General cited the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for breaching procurement laws in the award of 50 contracts worth more than US$145 million for the purchase of electricity meters.
The report said the contracts were awarded without complying with the requirements of the Public Procurement Act.
The Auditor-General also found instances where state institutions relied on single-source and restricted tendering methods without obtaining the required approvals, raising concerns about transparency, competition and value for money.
More recently, a special audit into the 2023 African Games identified widespread procurement violations and contract management weaknesses, with recommendations for sanctions against some officials involved.
Dr. Forson said the latest reforms were designed to address such weaknesses while ensuring that public procurement processes support the timely implementation of government programmes.
He noted that shortening procurement timelines, strengthening oversight and limiting exceptional procurement methods would help reduce opportunities for abuse while accelerating the delivery of infrastructure and public services.
The Minister expressed confidence that the reforms would improve transparency, increase competition and enhance efficiency across the public sector procurement system.
GNA
Reporter: Jibril Abdul Mumuni
[email protected]
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong