The Minister in charge of Public Procurement, Adwoa Safo, has warned various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), as well as Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), to stop terminating government contracts without recourse to her Ministry.
Her warning follows the termination of contracts by some heads of various MMDAs and MDAs, a few days after they assumed their respective roles.
The Minister in a statement indicated that, the decision to abrogate these contracts without the Procurement Ministry’s consent, might lead to “unnecessary legal battles between government and contractors which could spark needless and avoidable payment of judgement debts.”
Adwoa Safo clarified that, although she “has no doubt about the competence of heads of entities to make a judgement on what a good contract is from a bad one”, she believes that it is “always important to seek legal and expert advice before a decision to abrogate a contract is taken.”
Ms Safo has therefore directed that, all queries on some of these contracts should be “directed or be referred to the office of the Minister of State responsible for Public Procurement for further investigations and recommendations.”
Below is the Minister’s full statement
The Minister of state responsible for Public Procurement, Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo has observed with grave concern, recent media publications regarding abrogation of Government Contracts by some MMDA’s and MDAs
She has, therefore, advised all heads of entities within the MMDAS and MDAS to refer all such questionable contracts to her office for expert and legal advice.
The Minister has no doubt about the competence of heads of entities to make a judgement on what a good contract is from a bad one, however, she believes it is always important to seek legal and expert advice before a decision to abrogate a contract is taken.
Hon. Adwoa Safo noted that the move will prevent any unnecessary legal battles between government and contractors which could spark needless and avoidable payment of judgement debts.
In effect, she has a letter communicated to all Heads of entities within MMDAS and MDAs to stop terminating contracts forthwith.
Ms Safo has further directed that all queries on some of these contracts should be directed or be referred to the office of the Minister of State responsible for Public Procurement for further investigations and recommendations.
Please send all correspondence in the interim to this office:
Office of the Minister of State in charge of Public Procurement
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