{
  "id": 19337053,
  "title": "Stop procurement waste, protect 70% of national spending – Minister",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/stop-procurement-waste-protect-70-of-national-spending-minister",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-10T12:57:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghana Business News",
    "slug": "ghana-business-news",
    "url": "https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2026/11/10/stop-procurement-waste-protect-70-of-national-spending-minister/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance, has urged procurement officers to safeguard the national budget from waste by rigorously enforcing compliance measures. He emphasized that public procurement comprised roughly 50 to 70 percent of the nation's spending, underscoring the importance of vigilance and adherence to processes rather than viewing them as mere bureaucratic formalities. At the 12th Public Procurement Forum in Accra, Dr Forson highlighted that Ghana had lost approximately GH¢2.36 billion annually due to procurement breaches, as reported in the 2025 Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply (GIPS) report. The Deputy Finance Minister, Mr Thomas Nyarko Ampem, noted this figure during the launch of the report.\n\nDr Forson cautioned procurement officers against non-compliance, inefficiency, and abuse, stating that public procurement accounted for a significant portion of national spending, including infrastructure projects such as roads, schools, and healthcare facilities. He emphasized that the government had reviewed the procurement framework to enhance transparency, aiming to ensure that every cedi of the country's limited resources was utilized effectively for national development goals. The Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), amended by Act 1279, was enacted to address loopholes in earlier legislation, tighten controls, and ensure value for money in transactions. Dr Forson stressed that the success of public procurement would only be possible through active cooperation, transparency, accountability, and shared responsibility among all stakeholders involved in Ghana's procurement processes.\n\nFrank Mante, Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), warned that violations of procurement laws could result in severe penalties, including imprisonment under Section 92 of the law, particularly when procurement was conducted without the Finance Minister's authorization. He urged heads of organizations to obtain proper approvals before initiating any procurement activities, stressing that whether competitive or non-competitive methods were employed, the primary objective was to secure value for money. The public procurement forum, which gathered stakeholders from across the country, provided a platform for the Authority to address concerns raised by practitioners and implement necessary reforms.",
  "summary": "Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, Finance Minister, has charged procurement officers to protect the public purse from waste in national spending by strictly enforcing compliance mechanisms. The post Stop procurement waste, protect 70% of national spending – Minister appeared first on Ghana Business News .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}