The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has issued a strong final warning to public institutions that continue to violate mandatory transparency requirements under the Public Procurement Act.
The warning follows a recent compliance review of the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS), which revealed that several entities failed to publish their procurement plans and contract award details as stipulated by law.
According to the PPA, persistent non-compliance will attract tougher enforcement measures, including public naming of defaulting institutions, administrative sanctions, and restrictions on approvals for single-source and restricted tendering requests.
Under Sections 21 and 31 of the Public Procurement Act, all procurement entities are required to upload and regularly update their procurement plans and contract award information on the GHANEPS platform.
The Authority emphasised that failure to comply undermines transparency, weakens competitive tendering processes, and restricts effective public oversight of how state resources are spent.
The PPA reminded heads of procurement entities that ultimate responsibility for compliance rests with them, in line with Section 18 of the Act. It described procurement lapses not merely as administrative shortcomings but as serious leadership and accountability issues.
“Procurement lapses are leadership accountability concerns,” the Authority stressed, placing direct responsibility on institutional heads and controlling officers.
Procurement governance has come under renewed focus following a recent petition by policy think tank IMANI Africa to President John Dramani Mahama concerning alleged irregularities in state insurance placements. Although the PPA’s warning is not directly linked to any specific case, it underscores growing demands for stricter enforcement and accountability in public contracting.
The GHANEPS platform was introduced to digitise and streamline public procurement processes, enhance transparency, and establish a clear auditable trail for government contracts.