Roads Ministry did not abuse single source procurement process – Report

The Ministry of Roads and Highways did not abuse the single-source procurement process in awarding contracts under the Big Push infrastructure programme, an investigative report has concluded.

According to the report, the Ministry acted within the legal provisions and bona fide boundaries governing the award of the contracts.

“The report, however, indicates that there appears to be strong public aversion to single sourcing unless it is reserved for genuinely exceptional circumstances,” Presidential Spokesperson and Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said during a press conference at the Presidency in Accra.

“Even though current legislation addresses these concerns by providing exceptions under which single sourcing may be applied, it would be advisable to further restrict administrative discretion in the evaluation of future single-source procurement applications,” he added.

He explained that although the Ministry of Roads and Highways complied with the existing provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), as amended, and obtained all the necessary approvals for single sourcing, public concerns underscore the need for greater institutional transparency, enhanced public disclosure, and proactive independent oversight mechanisms.

The matter originated from a report submitted to the Presidency on April 1, 2026, by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) regarding publications by The Fourth Estate alleging abuse of the single-source procurement process in the award of contracts under the Big Push Initiative.

On April 2, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama referred the matter to the Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs for investigation.

The President tasked the Advisor with verifying the allegations and determining the appropriate course of action.

The report commended the transparency efforts of The Fourth Estate and the Media Foundation for West Africa, noting that their work played an important role in promoting public accountability and drawing national attention to procurement data.

The publication at the centre of the controversy was titled “The Sole-Source Factory,” in reference to the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

At the same time, the report acknowledged the Ministry’s commitment to implementing the Big Push agenda, describing it as a strategic effort to accelerate infrastructure development, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth.

The report further concluded that the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) Board, the Value for Money Office, and Cabinet must work in tandem to ensure that accelerated national infrastructure programmes such as the Big Push initiative are implemented with adequate financial scrutiny and structural integrity.

Kwakye Ofosu said the investigation established that a total of 1,441 project contracts had been awarded by the Ministry of Roads and Highways under the current administration.

The breakdown includes 405 projects under the Ghana Highways Authority, 896 under the Department of Feeder Roads, 23 legacy projects, 63 consolidated Big Push projects, and 54 main Big Push projects.

Out of the 1,441 contracts, 1,301 were awarded through open and competitive tendering processes, while the remaining 140 were awarded under the Big Push initiative.

Of the 140 Big Push projects, 66 were awarded through single sourcing, 51 through restricted tendering, and 23 were ongoing projects inherited from the previous administration that had originally been awarded through single sourcing and later incorporated into the Big Push programme.

According to Kwakye Ofosu, the figures show that 1,301 out of the 1,441 contracts, representing 90.28 per cent, were awarded through open and competitive tendering.

He added that only 4.58 per cent of all road contracts awarded by the Ministry in 2025 and 2026 were procured through the single-source process.

Within the Big Push initiative itself, less than half of the projects—47.14 per cent—were awarded through single sourcing.

He noted that the implementing agencies under the Ministry, namely the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA), the Department of Urban Roads (DUR), and the Department of Feeder Roads (DFR), obtained approval from the Public Procurement Authority Board before awarding specific projects through single sourcing or restricted tendering.

Kwakye Ofosu further disclosed that, in the interest of transparency and in line with the government's commitment to accountable governance, the full 72-page report would be published on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.