Single-source procurement the biggest conduit of corruption in Ghana — Prof Zaato

Senior Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Joshua Jebuntie Zaato, has identified single-source procurement as the largest driver of corruption in Ghana.

He has accused successive governments of failing to honour promises to curb the practice despite its damaging impact on public accountability.

Speaking on TV3’s New Day programme on Wednesday, June 25, Prof Zaato proposed a radical approach: ban single-source procurement altogether and compel public tender for all contracts exceeding GH¢20,000.

“One of the biggest conduits of corruption in Ghana is procurement, especially single-source procurement. It is the biggest. So any government that is serious about procurement should ban single-source procurement,” he stressed.

“Every government in opposition… will say, ‘when we come, we’ll reduce it or ban it.’ They come, they don’t ban it. They come and they make it worse,” added Prof Zaato.

Prof Zaato argued that enforcing public tendering would also improve the performance of state-owned enterprises by weakening unhealthy board-CEO ties that often compromise efficiency and accountability.

He added that, “Any contract above GH¢20,000 must go for public tender, no matter what. Procurement is the single largest source of corruption in this country, and that’s why you see it in almost every major scandal.”