Ghana Tightens Procurement Controls as Minister Warns: "Do Not Treat Procurement as a Box to Tick"

Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has issued a sharp directive to heads of public institutions, warning that procurement compliance is not a bureaucratic formality but a direct responsibility to the Ghanaian taxpayer, as the government moves to tighten oversight over a function that consumes between 50 and 70 per cent of national spending.

Speaking at the opening of the 12th Public Procurement Forum at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Monday, November 9, 2026, Forson said all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) must strictly comply with the Public Procurement (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 914), and insisted that every supplier seeking to do business with the state must first register with the Public Procurement Authority .

"Do not treat procurement as a box to tick, but as a responsibility to the people of Ghana," Forson said, in remarks delivered on his behalf by Samuel Arkhurst, Coordinating Director (Technical) at the Ministry of Finance .

A Staggering Share of Public Spending

The minister's warning carries significant fiscal weight. According to figures presented at the forum, public procurement accounts for approximately 50 to 70 per cent of Ghana's national spending. Forson referenced the 2026 national budget appropriation of GH¢357.21 billion, noting that half to seventy per cent of that sum flows through procurement processes—covering roads, schools, health facilities, and essential services .

"If the tools only work when they are used, then the only way we can succeed is through strict compliance," Forson said .

The minister also stressed the need for heads of MDAs to eliminate situations where financial commitments are made without prior assurance of the government's ability to meet them—a practice that has contributed to arrears and stalled projects across successive administrations .

Supplier Registration: A Hard Requirement

Forson was unambiguous on the registration requirement. Under the amended PPA Act, chief executives of public institutions bear personal responsibility for ensuring that every supplier their organisation deals with is on the PPA's registered supplier database .

"We must enforce that requirement," he said. The warning was echoed by the PPA itself, which cautioned that chief executives remain personally accountable for procurement breaches even when higher-level authorities—including the PPA or the Central Tender Review Committee—have approved the transaction .

"Concurrent approval, don't say, 'Oh, but even I got PPA's approval.' No. That will not save you," PPA Chief Executive Frank Mante warned at the same forum .

Thresholds Raised Eightfold to Speed Up Smaller Purchases

In a parallel move aimed at reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, the PPA announced that the financial threshold for heads of public institutions to approve procurement of goods without referring transactions to entity tender committees has been raised from GH¢100,000 to GH¢800,000—an eightfold increase .

Mante said the change, introduced under the Public Procurement (Thresholds for Approving Authorities and Procurement Methods) Regulations, 2025 (L.I. 2516), would allow institutions to procure goods—including vehicles—below GH¢800,000 without going through a review committee, accelerating relatively smaller transactions .

The threshold for the Request for Quotation method of procurement has similarly been increased from GH¢100,000 to GH¢800,000 .

However, Mante stressed that the revised thresholds did not exempt institutions from complying with the law, citing Sections 17 and 18 of the Act which prescribe procedures for procurement above specified limits .

GHANEPS and the Fight Against Corruption

The forum also served as a platform to push wider adoption of the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS), which the PPA describes as a powerful tool for fighting corruption, generating reliable procurement data, and reducing human interference in tender processes .

Mante encouraged private sector operators to register on GHANEPS, noting that the system allows suppliers and contractors—including those outside Accra—to submit tenders electronically without incurring travel costs .

The PPA chief also used the forum to issue a warning about evaluation manipulation. He cautioned Entity Tender Committees and evaluation panels against introducing assessment criteria that had not been disclosed to bidders before the tendering process, describing such practices as a recurring source of complaints to the Authority .

The Broader Context: A System Under Strain

The forum's theme—"Deepening Compliance for Public Procurement Efficiency, Transparency and Effectiveness"—reflects a persistent challenge in Ghana's public financial management. While the legal framework has been strengthened over successive amendments, enforcement and follow-through have historically lagged.

The establishment of the Value for Money Office, under legislation assented to by President John Dramani Mahama in May 2026, is intended to extend scrutiny beyond contract award to contract execution—a recognition that weaknesses in administration can erode value even when procurement processes are technically compliant .

Forson's remarks also come amid political scrutiny. In July 2026, Okaikwei Central MP Patrick Yaw Boamah accused the Finance Minister of contradicting his own procurement reform agenda, alleging that three major projects in Forson's constituency were awarded through single-source and restricted tendering . The Finance Ministry has not publicly responded to those specific allegations.

What Comes Next

The PPA's annual forum is a statutory requirement under Section 3(s) of Act 663, bringing together Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives alongside procurement officers to discuss compliance and receive feedback on regulatory reforms .

For the government, the message from this year's gathering was clear: the rules exist, the thresholds have been adjusted for efficiency, and the electronic systems are in place. What remains to be seen is whether the accountability the minister demands will materialise in practice—or whether procurement will continue to function as the box to tick that Forson insists it must not be.

Key Takeaways:

· Supplier registration: All suppliers must be on the PPA database before engaging with public entities; CEOs are personally accountable for compliance

· New threshold: Heads of institutions can now approve goods procurement up to GH¢800,000 without entity tender committee review (up from GH¢100,000)

· Scale of spending: Public procurement represents 50–70% of national spending; 2026 budget appropriation was GH¢357.21 billion

· Accountability warning: PPA cautioned that higher-level approvals do not shield CEOs from liability for breaches

· Electronic procurement: GHANEPS promoted as anti-corruption tool and efficiency driver