Patrick Boamah accuses Finance Minister of breaching procurement rules cited in Mid-Year Budget

Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, Hon. Patrick Yaw Boamah, has accused the Finance Minister of flouting the same procurement reforms government is proposing in the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review.

Contributing to the debate on the review presented to Parliament last Thursday, Hon. Boamah referred to paragraphs 464 to 466 of the document. Paragraph 466 states that government is proposing procurement reforms in three key areas: shortening procurement lead times, limiting the use of single source procurement, and tightening restricted tendering.

The Okaikwei Central MP cited three projects in the Minister’s constituency to back his claim. He said the Mankesim–Ajumako–Suedru Road, a 111-kilometre project estimated at about $250 million, was awarded through single source procurement.

He also alleged that a military barracks being built in Ajumako at a cost of GH¢200 million, and a specialist hospital in Ajumako estimated at GH¢850 million, about $18 million, were procured through single source and restricted tender respectively.

*"If the minister comes to tell us that he's tightening procurement rules and regime then I don't believe in what he's talking about,"* Hon. Boamah stated.

He further raised conflict of interest concerns, alleging that the constituency chairman of the Finance Minister is the chair of the Central Tender Review Committee, while another constituent serves as Deputy CEO at the Public Procurement Authority. He noted that the Ministry of Finance supervises the PPA.

Hon. Boamah said the developments contradict government’s commitment to transparency in public procurement as outlined in the Mid-Year Review.

CUE IN.....HON BOAMAH

Hon. Patrick Yaw Boamah*, has accused the Finance Minister of prioritizing new projects in his constituency while cocoa farmers are still owed payments.

Hon. Boamah said although government is citing jobs and infrastructure needs, farmers in key agricultural areas have not received what is due them.

*"The specialist hospital Cape Coast has one of the best hospitals. He decided to site a specialist hospital over eight hundred and fifty million Ghana cedis in. That's fine. But the cocoa farmers in have still not been paid. Mister speaker the cocoa farmers in want to be paid. And that is what Ghanaians want,"* he said.

The Okaikwei Central MP also referenced the Tree Crop Development Authority Act passed by Parliament, noting that under Section 26 the Act was to support tree crops including oil palm.