Election 2020: We have saved over US$90 million for Ghana - EC

The Electoral Commission (EC) has explained that open-competitive tendering and best procurement processes led to a reduction in the cost per voter in the 2020 elections.

Those processes, Mr. Michael Boadu Director for Training at the Commission explained, opened up for other companies to bid for the various components of procuring materials for the elections.

While it cost GH¢75.57 ($13) per voter in the 2016 elections, the EC spent GH¢44.66 ($7.7) per voter in last year’s elections.

That made the Commission make total savings of GH¢523,409,980 or US$90,243,100.

The cost per voter in the just ended 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections amounted to about GH¢40.78 translating into seven (7) US-Dollars seven (7) cents.

He said with the exception of the printing of ballot papers and the procurement of indelible ink and biometric devices which had security implications, all other forms of procurement were done openly through the newspapers.

“With the exception of the printing of ballot papers, which had security implications and the production of TV and Radio adverts, all other procurement were done openly through the new papers,” he said.

He held that the COVID-19 pandemic hiked the cost of the elections in that the Commission procured the requisite Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) for some 240,000 staff.

Additionally, Mr Boadu stressed that other PPEs such as sanitizers set of veronica bucket, Liquid Soap, Tissue paper, Wipes and Thermometer Guns, were procured for all over 38,622 polling station during the entire registration period, exhibition and election day.

Mr Boadu disclosed that the pandemic impacted on the production and supply of most of the offshore items, and had to be transported by air, unlike 2012 and 2016 when these items came by sea. This further hiked increased the cost greatly.

The Director of Training noted that unlike 2012 and 2016 when the Commission was tax exempt, in 2020 the Commission paid full tax for all offshore items.

Mr Boudu said, “the material procured for the replacement of voters register was for an estimated 18 million persons. In 2016 however, preparation was made for some 3 million persons.”

“Again in 2020, the Election Commission used 44,067 Registration Officials over 38 days; over 71,734 Exhibition Officials over 10 days and over 231,732 Election Officials for 1 day”.

In addition, between 2016 and 2020 we increased the number of polling stations by 10,000, this means that the Commission hired 146,122 more staff working on exhibition and Election Day alone and yet we managed to reduce the cost per person by almost half.