Ghana has an enabling environment for disclosure – CoST Manager
Initiatives such as the Open Governance Partnership and the Open Data Initiative (ODI) and the Right to Information Law offer a favourable environment for transparency and disclosure in Ghana.
This, therefore, provides a golden opportunity for the country to support transparency initiatives such as CoST.
These were contained in scoping study report copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
The study, an initiative of CoST Sekondi-Takoradi, was carried out by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC).
The study was done in July 2020 and used interviews from across institutions, procuring entities and civil society alongside desk-based research.
It sought to understand the level of infrastructure transparency, accountability and stakeholder participation across the country.
Though Ghana currently spends $1.2 billion annually on infrastructure, equivalent to 7.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), investment in the country has not delivered full value for money.
The study recommended for the country to work on addressing the gaps in data and the use of technology, training and engaging citizens in delivery.
It further recommended for the government to expedite the completion of the data platform, the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEP), which provided a streamlined data disclosure experience.
This, the study, said could prevent human error.
“The Ministry of Finance should work towards a more predictable schedule of funding to the procuring entities of infrastructure projects to avoid infrastructure projects being delayed or abandoned,” the study recommended.
It also enjoined civil society to monitor tender management and contract implementation across the infrastructure delivery cycle.
Also, the study noted that the civil society and the private sector were key players in taking the lead role in advocating for data disclosure in key areas, including the tender evaluation and the ownership of firms.
Mr Isaac Aidoo, the Manager for Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST) in Ghana, commenting on the study, noted that public procurement was characterized by inefficiency and corruption, leading to profound waste and poor quality projects.
Source: GNA