The 2019 Auditor General’s report on Technical Universities has revealed that procurement breaches recorded in the various institutions were the highest in the year under review since 2015.

The report was put together after the accounts of these educational institutions covering the period of January to December 31, 2019, were submitted for auditing.

According to the 241-page document, the procurement irregularities of these institutions were valued at GHS 48 million, a significant jump from what was recorded in 2015, GHS438,150.

How did these irregularities occur?
The report states that the irregularities came from “Intentional disregard for the Procurement Act, management’s inability to comply fully with the procurement law, improper procurement planning and a breakdown of the procurement process: These included excessive variation order, absence of system to monitor works being executed, restricted tendering, procurement order divided into lots and lack of supervision.”

Which technical universities were guilty of these irregularities?
The Bolgatanga Technical University was responsible for over 90 percent of the amount.

Of the total of 48 million, the report said Bolgatanga Technical University was responsible for about GHS 45 million.

The report stated that the University’s procurement was “supervised by a one-man procurement unit.”

The Koforidua Technical University’s irregularities came at a cost of GHS 1.3 while those of the Kumasi Technical University were valued at GHS 2.2 million.

The Ho Technical University was the only institution amongst the 10 that was not cited for such irregularities.

How costly have these breaches been over the years?
Per the report, in 2015, procurement irregularities amounted to GHS461,002, but that amount fell to GHS391,361 in 2016.

In 2017, it jumped to GHS 3,985,354, but it fell again to GHS 438,150 in 2018 and then in 2019, it skyrocketed to GHS 48,960,038.

Way forward

The report recommended that the universities had “to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (as amended)”.