Single-source procurement of ‘math sets’ breaches Public Procurement Act – MP

The Member of Parliament for the Ashaiman Constituency, Ernest Norgbey, has said the single-source procurement used for by government in the GH¢64 million Scientific Mathematical Instruments deal is unjustifiable.

On Monday, July 13, 2020, parliament granted $3.2 million tax waiver for the procurement of scientific Mathematical Instruments for final year students in Senior High School.

The Ashaiman MP told Citi News that government’s decision to procure the mathematical sets under a single source is against the Public Procurement Act 663.

“That is totally against the Public Procurement Act 663. If at this time, we should be buying mathematical sets as an urgent procedure using single-source procurement, assuming without admitting that the children are going to write exams in August, we all knew very well that these children were in form three and we knew very well, they will be writing exams a year after so what prevented the Ministry from going through the competitive process for them to choose the best competitive price and then at the tail end, you rush and dilatorily, purchasing mathematical sets to the tune of 64 million.”

“We always ridicule ourselves to the international community because there is no way that you rush to buy mathematical sets under single-sourced procurements when you have so many competitors and vendors in the market that could produce these mathematical sets at a competitive price.”

Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah, Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee has said the tax waiver is to reduce the cost of the items since the supplier would add the tax amount to the final purchase cost.

According to the chairman of the finance committee, the instruments are to help eliminate examination malpractices which had been aided especially by use of mathematical sets and calculators in examination halls by candidates in all WAEC examinations.

The Scientific Mathematical Instruments (SMI) is to be procured and supplied by Messrs Bluegrass Group Limited for use in examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Ghana.

The agreement between Education Ministry and Messrs Bluegrass Group Limited will see the company supplying 853,009 units of the Kapek Scientific Mathematical Instruments.