The nominee Minister of State of Procurement, Adwoa Safo, has said she will recuse herself if Kantanka Automobile Limited, a company owned by her family, bids for a government contract.

The Minister-designate is expected to push for major changes in public procurement and make sure in procurement there will be fairness, non-discrimination​,value for money, and,  to a very large extent, integrity.

To this end, she told the vetting committee in parliament on Monday, 27 March: I "foresee in the event that Kantanka Automobile Company Limited, owned by my family, should bid for a contract, I obviously will have a vested interest in and I will recuse myself accordingly."​

Kantanka Automobile Company Limited is a subsidiary of the Kantanka​ Group of Companies founded by Apostle Dr Ing. Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, the founder and Leader of Kristo Asafo Mission of Ghana.

Source: classfmonline.com​

Dome-Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo has revealed that she drives cars produced by her father's Kantanka Automobile Company Limited, a subsidiary of the kantanka Group of Companies.

Speaking during her vetting​ by the Appointment Committee of Parliament as Minister-designate of Public Procurement Authority on Monday, 27 March, the Deputy Majority Leader said: "I am driving daddy's car and I must tell you that the pick-ups are already there - there has been the first model, the second model, and the third model - and also inform this honourable house that I just do not have a car of my dad's: my children use my dad's cars for school, my constituency has a Kantanka pickup that my organizer uses, and I also have my personal one. Daddy is pampering me small so he has given me three."

Meanwhile, she has said the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will engage in sole-sourcing in the award of contracts but will only do so under restrict conditions.​

According to her, this government will ensure absolute transparency, fairness and value for money​ in the award of contracts, especially in cases that sole-sourcing is used.

I will want to reiterate what has already been stated by His Excellency the President on our government's position on procurement: in ensuring that there is transparency, fairness, non-discrimination, value for money and, to a very large extent, integrity in the procurement processes and the only way that we can best champion this cause is through​ open competitive tender.

"So believe that open competitive tendering is the way to go: open up the tendering process for as many that qualify or meet the specifications for the contract for which they want to bid f​or," she said.

However, she added: "Sole-sourcing is permitted by Act 914. It is a method that is acceptable under the Act and it is lawful but it is an exception to the rule rather than the general rule. If the condition precedent set out in the Act and the guidelines for sole-sourcing as developed by the PPA​ are met. And so we will only advise that those conditions are satisfied.

"Sole-sourcing is a method that is justified under the law provided the conditions precedent exist," the Deputy Majority Leader said, adding: "We are able to satisfy [them]. We would [engage in sole-sourcing] where necessary ​if the conditions are met.

Source: classfoonline.com​

The nominee Minister of State of Procurement, Adwoa Safo, has said her ministry will cooperate with the office of the Attorney General to sanction any entity found culpable of resorting to sole-sourcing in the award of government contracts.

Sole-sourcing has been criticised as a vehicle used by​ politicians to steal money from the public through the award of contracts.

Speaking at the Appointment Committee hearing on Monday, 27 March, the Dome-Kwabenya lawmaker said: "The sanctions are provided for in section 92 of the public procurement act as amended and it so clear.​It's been reviewed in the amendment, the fine is now from a GHS2500 or imprisonment for not less than five years, so the offence is already in the law. So we will work together with the Attorney General's Department to ensure that people who are found or entities found to have flouted the procurement law are dealt with."

She added that her ministry would ensure that "in procurement law there will be fairness, non-discrimination, value for money, and, to a very large extent​, integrity in the process and the only way to best champion the cause is through open, competitive tender.

Source: classfmonline.com​

The Minister designate for Public Procurement, Ms Sarah Adwoa Safo has explained that her role will in no way conflict with that of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

There have been concerns that the new portfolio created by President Akufo-Addo ​and handed over to Ms Safo to overseer would conflict with the work of the (PPA).

Answering a question on how she intends to reconcile her position with that of the PPA when she appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday morning, Ms Safo said there would be no conflict.​

"My role in no way conflict with that of the Public Procurement Authority. It is rather going to strengthen ​and empower the PPA to be the regulatory body that oversees public procurements that are done."

"What I will be doing is to advising government on procurement issues. I won't veer into the regulatory functions of PPA. Mine, is just to advice as an internal check for us as a government even before​ we move to the PPA for the needed approval we ought to get for sole-sourcing or for restrictive tendering."

The MP for Hohoe, Bernice Adiku Heloo who asked the question on how she intends to get reconcile her position with that of the PPA congratulated her and asked her to serve as a role model for especially young women by bringing her expertise to bear on her new position.​

When the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa asked if her role will not conflict with that of the Minister of Finance, Ms Safo reiterated : I do not think that I will veer into that arena..., my role will be restricted to advising government on procurement internally before we move to the next level of PPA regulating to see whether indeed as a government we have followed the right procedure."​

Ms Safo said she will ensure that entities that flout the procurement law are sanctioned in accordance with the law.

Source: dailygraphic online​