The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has called for a major overhaul of Ghana’s road contract management system following his appearance before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday, April 1.
The Minister acknowledged significant procurement lapses flagged in the audit report, including the absence of proper tender processes and commitment authorisations in projects valued at nearly GH¢8 million.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Agbodza admitted that some contracts cited in the audit lacked critical documentation.
The Committee is considering the Special Audit Report of the Auditor-General on Government Outstanding Claims and Commodities as at 31st December, 2024.
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“There was no commitment authorisation, there was no evidence of any tender,” he revealed.
Despite these irregularities, he explained that the Ministry opted against terminating such projects due to their importance to local communities.
According to the Minister, cancelling the projects would have had serious social consequences, particularly for rural communities dependent on critical road infrastructure.
“Some communities have schools on the other side of rivers. So we decided we will not terminate them. We would rather work to regularise those contracts,” he stated.
He stressed that the decision was guided by the need to ensure continued access to essential services while addressing procedural shortcomings.
Mr. Agbodza was candid about systemic weaknesses within the current contract management framework, describing it as outdated and ineffective.
“The current system is no longer fit for purpose,” he said, adding that reforms are urgently needed to improve transparency and efficiency.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Finance is already working on introducing a more robust system to address the challenges.
The Minister also highlighted discrepancies in financial records between the government and contractors, raising concerns about data accuracy.
“You saw the audit report talking about contractors who were told, ‘we owe you a certain amount of money.’ They said, ‘No, you owe me less than that,’ because the data we have is not accurate enough,” he explained.
The Roads Minister warned that such inconsistencies could be exploited if not urgently addressed.
“Imagine if that contractor was not patriotic enough—you would have paid more than necessary,” he added.
Mr. Agbodza revealed the scale of operations within the Roads Ministry, noting that thousands of contracts are managed at any given time.
“At any time, we have 2,000 to 3,000 contracts. In fact, more than 5,000 contractors are registered with us,” he disclosed.
He clarified that the audit findings were based on a limited timeframe and may not fully reflect the broader situation.
“The audit was limited to a period. It is not from A to Z. So we can imagine if it covered everything,” he said.
The Minister welcomed the audit as a catalyst for improving governance in the sector.
“The audit just gives us a reason to try to improve on what we do as a country,” he noted.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening accountability and ensuring value for money in road infrastructure delivery.