Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has made a strong call for procurement professionals across the country to rise above the letter of the law and embrace a deeper sense of national duty in their work.
The deputy minister, who agrees to the calls for a law to be passed, said that legally professionalizing the procurement alone is not enough
Speaking at the 2025 National Procurement and Supply Conference, he cautioned that the mere passage of laws to professionalize procurement practice will not deliver the desired results if practitioners fail to imbibe nationalistic values.
He maintains that despite the strategic benefits of professional procurement, the country risks losing the true benefits of its procurement reforms if professionals remain indifferent to the bigger picture of national development.
He argues that, without the nationalistic values, procurement will find all the valid reasons to import goods into the country to the detriment of those produced in the country.
“We must imbibe the nationalistic values into every procurement professional. If they don’t have that nationalistic instinct and desire to procure locally made goods, they can find all the wonderful reasons why they should procure from elsewhere,” he noted.
Thomas Ampem Nyarko stressed that laws are only as effective as the values driving the people who implement them. In his view, professionals with a mindset of loyalty to Ghana’s development agenda will ensure that procurement decisions reflect not only compliance but also patriotism and commitment to national progress.
He said, “So the law will be there, but what will make the law work? What will make the law, the effect of the law, be as envisaged? It’s also that nationalistic thinking and ideals that we must imbibe in all of us.”
Linking this philosophy to the government’s 24-hour economic programme, Ampem Nyarko reiterated that the government is committed to ensuring that products which can be produced locally will not be imported.
He revealed that the government has also begun efforts to integrate environmental, social, and economic considerations into procurement decisions. This, he said, would serve the dual purpose of promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns while supporting local businesses to thrive.
“In line with the philosophy of the 24-hour economic programme, the government has committed to champion a policy that ensures products that can be produced locally are not imported. We have also begun efforts to integrate environmental, social, and economic considerations into procurement decisions,” he maintained.
He added, “We believe this is a strong way to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, reduce environmental impact, and support local economic development.”
Analysts say Ghana cannot legislate its way into development unless professionals charged with implementing the laws are motivated by a strong sense of patriotism. In simple terms, procurement officers who see themselves as nation-builders, rather than just technocrats, will prioritize local content, reduce wasteful imports, and ensure public spending benefits Ghanaians first.
