Peter Bismark Kwofie, Executive Director of the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI), has challenged calls for the complete abolition of sole sourcing in Ghana.
Instead, he advocates for a rigorous review and the implementation of statutory caps to prevent political abuse.
Mr Kwofie argues that while sole sourcing is a legitimate procurement method under the law, its application has become a vehicle for political patronage.
Reacting to a report by The Fourth Estate—which revealed that over 80% of projects under the “Big Push” initiative were awarded via sole sourcing by the Ministry of Roads and Highways—Kwofie emphasised that the issue lies in execution rather than legality.
Speaking on As It Is in Ghana via Rainbow Radio (87.5 FM Ghana and 92.4 FM UK), he noted:
“Sole sourcing is not a crime. But because of the political intention behind sole sourcing, it has become criminal intent. There are people who finance the party, and, because they don’t get any appointment, contracts are reserved for them through sole sourcing. Sole sourcing is legal, but it has been politically abused.”
According to Kwofie, sole-sourced contracts are frequently inflated to serve as informal reward schemes for power brokers and party financiers.
He expressed concern over the sheer scale of these awards, suggesting that when a government facilitates over GH₵500 million in contracts through this method, it indicates a systemic failure.
To combat this, he proposed a strict fiscal ceiling: “We need a threshold for sole sourcing. There should be a certain amount that sole sourcing should not cross. If it does, those who breach it should be prosecuted.”
A common defence for bypassing competitive bidding is the need for speed.
However, Kwofie dismissed this justification as both ethically and morally flawed, noting that the promised efficiency rarely materialises.
“We usually use this as an excuse to defend sole sourcing. However, the contractors who are awarded these sole-sourced contracts don’t deliver on time.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
