We erred in GHC10m vehicles, condoms purchase – GHS

Officials of the Ghana Health Service have conceded breaching procurement and financial regulations in the purchase of vehicles and condoms worth over 10million cedis.

Members of the Public Accounts committee have been unhappy with the financial management system at the Health ministry particularly the Ghana Health Service.

The purchase of the vehicles is being probed by the Economic and Organized Crime Office.

The director general of the service, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira told the committee Monday that although some infractions took place, he cannot be held accountable since he was not in charge of the service when the purchases were made.

“It was not done during my administration, it was done during the previous administration...and we concede that the wrong things were done,” Dr. Appiah Denkyira said.

The Auditor General revealed that the Ghana Health Service breached provisions of the Procurement Act in buying 332 pick-up vehicles valued at GHC10.4 million.

The revelations contained in Auditor-General's 2011 report indicated the Health Service handpicked its preferred supplier, Auto-World Ltd without obtaining approval from the Public Procurement Authority.

The auditors observed if the Ghana Health Service wanted to adopt sole-sourcing and skip the legal requirement to advertise for companies to express interest, it should have sought permission to do so.

The audit report noted the 332 Great Wall Pick-ups were obtained on hire purchase at GHC10.4 million and 10 Great Hovers at more than GHC530,000. Another company was also selected to supply condoms valued at more than GHC1million without following the law.

The audit report recommended sanctions against the Management of the Service in accordance with Article 92 of the PPA 2003.