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State Minister for Public Procurement, Sarah Adwoa Safo, said that corruption should become a high-risk activity to carry out the "Ghana Beyond Aid" initiative.
Officials who are held responsible for the act, she added, should be severely punished in order to deter others.
She deplored the alarming amount of resources and income lost as a result of corruption and poor procurement.
The minister, also the parliamentary majority leader in Parliament, made this suggestion in a welcome speech she delivered on Saturday at a workshop in Koforidua on the leadership of Parliament and some parliamentary committees on public procurement .
Organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Procurement, the theme of the workshop was "Strengthening Parliamentary Control Through Government Procurement".
According to her, 80% of the negative conclusions presented in the Auditor General's report are irregularities in public procurement.
"This is worrisome given that public procurement accounts for about 70 percent of government spending, which is a significant part of the country's total gross domestic product (GDP).
"Yet the existence of corruption, conflicts of interest, collusion and frauds is a major threat to the judicious use of public funds."
She said the role of the legislature in establishing a legal framework and in setting up a supervisory responsibility is very important to improve the country's procurement systems.
"Members of Parliament play a crucial role through its oversight function, hence the need to strengthen the capacity of our legislature in the area of public procurement."
"Good practices, laws and regulations on public procurement have a direct impact on the successful execution of government projects and public services."
"It ensures sound management of public finances by optimizing government resources, encouraging private sector growth and investment, and reducing corruption."
Topics selected for training included the legal framework for government procurement in Ghana and the role of parliament in resource optimization.
According to the Deputy Majority Leader, the topics would contribute to deepening the knowledge of leadership and understanding of the laws, rules, regulations, manuals, guidelines and procedures governing the purchase of goods and services.
Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, Chief Whip and MP for Asawase, briefly asked if the adoption of the Public Procurement Law (PPP) had been beneficial for the country and Ghanaians.
He argued that procurement processes were mainly related to attitudes, and that it was not easy to be in a position of influence in Ghana with regard to the purchases.
Political demands, he said, continue to exacerbate anomalies in the procurement process, with party supporters demanding market share to help a party gain power.
Mubarak Muntaka said the ultimate goal is to prevent corruption in procurement and ensure effective results for the country's development.
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