1V1D Contracts Given Through Restricted Tendering – Hawa Koomson

Hawa Koomson, the pecial Development Initiatives Minister has said contracts for the construction of dams under government's one village, one dam policy were awarded through restricted tendering.

According to her, this was done in accordance with the law and in order for work to proceed speedily on the projects.

Answering questions on the project in Parliament, the Minister said: “In accordance with the Public Procurement Act 2003, Act 663, MSDI undertook the following processes for procuring contractors and suppliers for the construction of the small dams and institutional water closets.”

“The Ministry received approval from the public procurement authority to use restricted tendering processes for the award of contractors in the construction of school dams. The process was opened on 1st March, 2018 and closed on March 16, 2018. The tenders were grouped into five lots per constituency. Each constituency was allocated ten projects. An evaluation panel of technical experts was set up to evaluate and make recommendations for the award of contracts,” the Minister added.

Restricted tendering is a procurement method that limits the request for tenders to a select number of suppliers, contractors or service providers.

Background

The One-Village-One-Dam policy is one of the Akufo-Addo administration's flagship programmes aimed at ensuring all year-round agriculture in the three regions of the north, through the construction of irrigation dams in every village in that part of the country.

Under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme in the 2017 budget, GHc94, 446,132 was earmarked for the programme.

The project forms part of President Nana Akufo-Addo's key policy initiatives which are expected to cost over GHc2 billion.

'One Village, One dam' being implemented in N/Region – Hamid

Then Minister of Information at the time, Mustapha Hamid, said in July that the New Patriotic Party [NPP] government had started implementing the one village, one dam project in the Northern Region.

Mr. Hamid said some of the dams had been constructed in some parts of the Northern Region and contracts for the remaining dams had been awarded.

He indicated that plans are far advanced regarding the NPP's campaign promise.

“The dams are being constructed; the contracts are being awarded. They are happening. They are being constructed in the Northern Region. It is being done. Those contracts have been awarded. Even In areas where we had old dams, the desilting has been done, so that is a project that is going on.”

The Government spokesperson at the time further stated that Members of Parliament in the Northern Region could attest to the fact that contracts for the one village, one dam had been awarded.

---citinewsroom