The long-standing debate over sole sourcing in Ghana’s public procurement and contracting system has taken a sharper turn as the Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, is calling for its complete abolition.
Kofi Bentil is arguing that sole sourcing has, for decades, been used as a convenient cover for corruption, allowing politically connected firms to win lucrative state contracts without competition.
For him, it is one major excuse politicians have used to steal billions, and he believes it is time for the country to abolish it altogether.
A System Under Fire
Under the country’s public procurement laws, sole sourcing is officially permitted but under limited conditions. Over the years, it has increasingly come under scrutiny amid growing public concern about transparency and value for money.
As the experts explain, this approach is often used when there is only one supplier, there is an emergency, or standard competitive processes are impractical.
In practice, however, critics argue it has often been stretched beyond these narrow conditions.
The Current Sole Sourcing Controversies
Kofi Bentil is making this strong case on the back of the current debate on the subject.
Over the years, several road construction contracts awarded through sole sourcing have drawn criticisms. Recent is the allegations by The Fourth Estate against the Ministry of Roads for awarding numerous road contracts under sole sourcing, which, in actual fact, should not take that route.
Critics say the roads contracted under sole sourcing are often characterized by inflated costs, poor execution, and a lack of competitive pricing.
These concerns have fed a perception that the system enables waste and weak accountability.
In addition, the Ghana Gold Board has also come under heavy criticism for a reported GH¢11 million solely sourced office renovation contract.
While officials have denied wrongdoing, the episode has reignited national discussions about whether sole sourcing remains justified in today’s procurement environment.
Bentil’s Argument: Let Competition Prove the “Sole”
Kofi Bentil’s position is to eliminate sole sourcing entirely and let the market determine if only one supplier truly exists.
According to him, if there is genuinely one capable supplier, a competitive tender will naturally produce just that one bid.
In his view, this removes discretion from public officials and closes the door to manipulation.
His argument resonates with a growing segment of the public that sees sole sourcing not as a technical procurement tool, but as a gateway to opaque deals.
“SOLE SOURCING: The excuse our politicians have used to steal billions in corrupt deals for decades. I’ve said and I repeat, abolish it altogether! If the item truly has only a sole source that will become obvious in the tender process!!!,” the Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa strongly intimated.
The Bottomline
Kofi Bentil’s call adds to the increasing pressure on policymakers to rethink Ghana’s procurement framework.
While some experts advocate stricter controls and enforcement, Bentil is pushing for a more definitive solution, scrapping sole sourcing altogether.
For now, the question remains: Should Ghana reform sole sourcing to make it more transparent?
Or abolish it entirely, as Bentil suggests, and rely fully on competitive tendering?
As the debate gathers momentum, one thing is certain that the fate of sole sourcing in Ghana’s contracting and public procurement now hangs in the balance.
