The Accountant and Headmaster of Wa School for the Deaf are set to be sanctioned after issuing splitted contracts to 10 Suppliers to the tune of Gh¢342,415.00 contrary to Section 21 of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) as amended.

This According to report Of The Auditor-general On The Public Accounts Of Ghana: Colleges Of Education And Pre-university
Educational Institutions For The Financial Year Ended 31 December 2022.

Full Details Captured Below:

Bulk breaking of procurement orders.
Section 21 of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) as amended provides to the effect that a procurement entity shall not divide a procurement order into parts or lower the value of a procurement order to avoid the application of the procedures for public procurement in this Act.

Management of Wa School for the Deaf awarded 10 separate contracts in a sum of Gh¢342,415.00 for the supply of food items. We however that the contract which was for the supply of similar items was split among the 10 suppliers in order to meet the approval threshold of the entity head. Details are provided in the table below:

This situation does not promote transparency and value for money in
procurements including the benefit of quantity discount which may be enjoyed if all the items were procured from a single supplier.

The Auditor General Directed that the School’s Headmaster and Accountant Should be Sanctioned in Accordance with Section 92 of the Act 663. as amended of the Constitution.

“We recommended that the Head and the accountant of the school should be sanctioned in line with the provisions of Section 92 of the Act 663. as amended.”

Source: Upper West Media App