Patrick Yaw Boamah
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah, has accused the Finance Minister of contradicting his own proposed procurement reforms by allegedly approving major projects in his constituency through single-source and restricted tendering.
Contributing to the debate on the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament, Mr. Boamah argued that while the Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, had announced measures to strengthen transparency in public procurement, the government’s actions in the minister’s constituency painted a different picture.
He referred Parliament to paragraphs 464, 465 and 466 of the Mid-Year Budget Review, where the government proposed reforms aimed at shortening procurement lead times, limiting the use of single-source procurement and tightening restricted tendering procedures.
According to the Okaikwei Central legislator, the reforms were undermined by procurement decisions involving three major projects earmarked for the Finance Minister’s constituency.
“I am going to demonstrate to this House three very key projects where he has gone against what he is reporting to this House,” Mr. Boamah said.
He alleged that the 111-kilometre Mankessim–Ajumako–Swedru Road, estimated to cost about US$250 million, had been awarded through a single-source procurement process despite the government’s stated commitment to reduce reliance on such procurement methods.
Mr. Boamah further claimed that a proposed GH¢200 million military barracks in Ejumako had also been procured through single sourcing.
He also questioned the procurement process for a planned GH¢850 million specialist hospital in Ejumako, alleging that the project was being undertaken through restricted tendering.
According to him, the decision to site the specialist hospital in Ejumako instead of Cape Coast was difficult to justify, particularly when Cape Coast already serves as the regional capital and hosts major health facilities.
“So, if the minister comes to tell us that he is tightening procurement rules and regime, then I don’t believe what he is talking about,” he stated.
During his contribution, Mr. Boamah also made allegations suggesting a conflict of interest involving appointments to procurement-related institutions.
However, the Second Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, who was presiding over the meeting, immediately directed that the allegation against the Finance Minister on the issue of conflict of interest be expunged from the official parliamentary record.
The MP maintained that the people of Ejumako would have benefited more from employment opportunities than the construction of a military barracks.
He also argued that cocoa farmers in the area were more concerned about receiving outstanding payments for their produce than the announcement of new infrastructure projects.
“The cocoa farmers in Ejumako want to be paid, and that is what Ghanaians want,” he said.
Mr. Boamah further criticised what he described as the government’s failure to fulfil earlier commitments to revitalise the oil palm industry.
He recalled that Parliament had passed the Tree Crops Development Authority Act to promote key tree crops, including oil palm, and said the government had previously announced plans to invest more than US$500 million in reviving the sector.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House