Sulemana Braimah, the Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has expressed concern about the Road Ministry’s method of awarding contracts under the government’s “Big Push” infrastructure program, alleging that a sizable number of projects were not put out to bid.
Braimah claims that sole-sourcing, as opposed to open competitive bidding, was used to award 81 of the 107 contracts associated with the project.
He maintained that using public funds in this way raises concerns about accountability, transparency, and value for money.
The issues have rekindled discussion on procurement procedures in significant government infrastructure projects. Opponents of sole-sourcing contend that it may diminish competition, which could result in higher prices and lower-quality work.
According to Braimah, the conclusions were derived from official data supplied by governmental organisations.
“When we removed the eight ongoing projects, we were left with 107,” he stated.
Braimah stated on TV3 that the projects’ procurement practices were then scrutinised.
“We looked at what they themselves indicated as the procurement method,” he added.
Braimah said the results showed a clear pattern. “Out of the 107, 81 were done through sole sourcing,” he said.
This equates into a substantial proportion, he continued.
He said, “That is about 76 per cent, which confirms the claims that most of these projects are being sole-sourced,”
The Road Ministry has not yet formally addressed the allegations. Nonetheless, governments and civil society organisations who continue to push for more stringent monitoring in public procurement are anticipated to pay more attention to the problem.
Although the “Big Push” program, which aims to speed up infrastructure construction, is still a major government project, concerns over contract distribution may affect how the public views its execution in the future.
Source: newsthemegh.com