I was not aware of the procurement process – Adwoa Safo

Former Minister of State for Procurement Sarah Adwoa Safo says she has no knowledge of the procurement processes adopted before entering into a contract with the company carrying out the COVID-19 test at the international airport of Kotoka (KIA).

She also said she had not seen the deal’s contract.

Speaking during her review of the gender, children and social protection portfolio, she joined three appointed former ministers who were unable to provide clarification on the controversial contract awarded to Frontiers Healthcare Solution Services Limited .

And this despite the fact that she was the President’s main adviser on procurement issues.

Madame Adwoa Safo instead suggested to the Minister of Finance under Akufo-Addo’s first term, Ken Ofori-Atta could have answers.

“I would like to officially state that the 2003 law on public procurement was not amended during my tenure as Minister of State for Public Procurement, so that the responsible minister, which is clearly stated in the law, is the Minister of Finance. ”

Appearing before the Nominations Committee earlier, the Minister-designate of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, noted that the contract for the tests was awarded as part of an emergency purchase.

Ghana’s Public Procurement Act provides that emergency purchases and donations are to be made in the event of natural disasters, epidemics and the like subject to the approval of the Public Procurement Board in accordance with Act 663, section 40.

The government has hired Frontiers Healthcare Solution Services Limited to perform rapid COVID-19 testing after the airport reopens to international passenger flights.

It was at one point said that it was operating without a license.

“We weren’t in normal times; we had to do things quickly and rectify them later, ”Mr. Agyemang-Manu said of the situation.

“The license was even made at my insistence. When I went to do the checks and found it hadn’t been done, I told them to let us go quickly and fix the anomaly before things got worse.

The company charged $ 150 for the 30-minute PCR test.

The amount was recently reduced to $ 50 for ECOWAS citizens and was kept at $ 150 for non-ECOWAS nationals.

Mr. Agyemang-Manu also said that a presidential task force was dealing with the contract.

Aside from Ms Safo and Mr Agyemang-Manu, the appointed Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs Godfred Dame also said he had no knowledge of procurement processes.

— citinewsroom