Contracts awarded to Zoomlion, Frontiers Healthcare Solution, breached procurement rules - Report
Ghana government has been accused of engaging in irregular procurement practices that violate Ghana’s procurement laws
Jonas Danquah 
Government of Ghana has been cited for engaging in various procurement breaches and taking huge corruption risks since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country last year.
A 67-paged report put together by the Community Development Alliance, government accused of engaging in irregular procurement practices that violate Ghana’s procurement laws, regulations, codes, and international conventions and best practices.
Listing some examples of irregular procurements made over the period, the document revealed that the contract awarded to four Ghanaian garment manufacturing companies that had been given loans of $10m through the Ghana Exim Bank to produce PPEs, face masks, medical scrubs, hospital gowns, and headgears was without tender.
It revealed that, the companies were also not registered with the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) at the time the contract was awarded.
On the $1million contract awarded to develop the Covid-19 tracker app, the document stated that the two foreign companies namely iQuent Technologies and Ascend Digital Solutions were not legally registered with the Public Procurement Authority and did not go through tender.
The Corruption Risk Assessment report by the Community Development Alliance also explained that the contract awarded to Frontiers Healthcare Solution Services Limited to conduct Covid-19 antigen tests at the Kotoka International Airport was also without tender.
Just like the company in charge of the Covid-19 tracker, Frontier Healthcare Solution Services Limited had also not registered with PPA and was unlicensed by the health facilities regulator, HEFRA.
On the disinfection and fumigation of public institutions across the country, including markets and schools, the Corruption Risk Assessment report said Zoomlion was awarded the contract based on sole sourcing.
Contrary to the Finance Minister's announcement that only GHC 12million was spent on hot meals for underprivileged during the COVID-19 lockdown, the report said GHC42million was rather spent on hot meals during the period, without any proper tendering or documentation.
.
Find the full report below:
