Minister of State for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has defended the procurement practices of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, insisting that competitive tendering—not sole-sourcing—remains the dominant method used in awarding road contracts under the current administration.

His remarks come in response to a report by the Media Foundation for West Africa's investigative outlet, The Fourth Estate, which raised concerns about the use of sole-sourcing under the government's Big Push infrastructure programme.

The report reviewed 107 contracts awarded under the initiative between August 2025 and February 2026 and found that 81 contracts, representing about 76 percent, were procured through sole-sourcing.

Addressing the issue during the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, June 15, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu argued that the findings focused on a limited segment of road projects and did not reflect the ministry's overall procurement record.

According to him, the Ministry of Roads and Highways awarded a total of 1,441 contracts across 2025 and 2026, with 1,301 of those projects procured through open competitive bidding.

He stated that these contracts account for 90.28 percent of all road projects awarded during the period, underscoring the government's commitment to competitive procurement processes.

Mr. Kwakye Ofosu further disclosed that only 66 of the 140 projects undertaken under the Big Push programme were awarded through sole-sourcing, representing 47.14 percent of contracts under the initiative.

He added that when measured against the ministry's total portfolio of road contracts, sole-sourced projects constituted just 4.58 percent of all awards made in 2025 and 2026.

The minister explained that other Big Push contracts were awarded through restricted tendering, while 23 projects inherited from the previous administration had already been procured through sole-sourcing before the current government assumed office.

He also indicated that all instances where sole-sourcing or restricted tendering were used received prior approval from the Board of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

Providing a breakdown, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said the Ghana Highway Authority obtained approval for 72 Big Push projects, with 51 awarded through sole-sourcing and 21 through restricted tendering.

The Department of Urban Roads secured approval for 16 projects, comprising 11 sole-sourced contracts and five awarded through restricted tendering. The Department of Feeder Roads, he added, received approval for 29 projects, of which four were procured through sole-sourcing and 25 through restricted tendering.

Mr. Kwakye Ofosu maintained that the data does not support assertions that the Roads Ministry relied predominantly on sole-sourcing.

"The available evidence shows that competitive procurement remained the principal method for awarding road contracts. Claims that the ministry operated largely through sole-sourcing are therefore not borne out by the facts," he said.

He also defended the decision to use sole-sourcing in selected cases under the Big Push programme, explaining that the initiative was conceived as an accelerated infrastructure intervention to address critical road deficits, generate employment and stimulate economic activity.

According to him, the procurement approach adopted for some projects was guided by the urgency of delivering key infrastructure within tight timelines while remaining within the legal framework governing public procurement.