The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has dismissed claims that the government’s flagship “Big Push” infrastructure programme is heavily reliant on single-source procurement, insisting that less than half of the contracts were awarded through that method.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, March 24, the minister clarified that only 44 per cent of major contracts under the initiative were single-sourced, pushing back against allegations in the public domain, including a report by The Fourth Estate which suggested widespread use of non-competitive procurement.
The report claimed that 81 single-sourced contracts valued at more than GH¢73 billion were awarded within a seven-month period, raising concerns about transparency and potential cost inflation.
Mr Agbodza, however, told lawmakers that the ministry adopted a mix of procurement methods in line with legal requirements, given the scale and urgency of the projects.
“Given the scale and importance of these projects, a mix of procurement processes was employed in accordance with the law,” he said.
“It is important to note that only 44 per cent of all major contracts under the Big Push were awarded through single sourcing, not what has been published.”
He further disclosed that more than 400 contracts had been awarded through open competitive bidding, describing the figure as unprecedented in the sector and evidence of the ministry’s commitment to transparency.
“We have awarded over 400 contracts under open competitive bidding. Records show that from 2017 to 2024, almost all projects undertaken by the ministry were single-sourced. It is therefore misleading for anyone to conclude that the ministry relies solely on single sourcing,” he stated.
The minister explained that some of the single-sourced contracts were extensions of previously awarded projects, a strategy aimed at accelerating delivery and avoiding delays associated with restarting procurement processes.
He added that 23 road projects were undertaken through single sourcing at a total cost of GH¢14.8 billion, maintaining that such decisions were justified by the need for the timely execution of critical infrastructure.
The clarification comes amid growing public scrutiny over procurement practices under the Big Push programme, with the Minority in Parliament calling for full disclosure of contract details to strengthen transparency and accountability.
