An investigation into corruption in public procurement in Ghana a case of Ghana highway authority

Abstract

Government or public institutions spend public funds on the provision of essential services like health, education, defence and infrastructure. However, while ensuring that public funds are utilized judiciously, there are corrupt acts that prevail in the process. Therefore, this study aimed to ascertain the effects of these corrupt acts on the public procurement process. Simple random sampling was used to obtain thirty-three (33) respondents from Ghana Highway Authority, Accra and a quantitative study was employed to solicit their perceptions on the topic. It was found that undue influence, collusion and conflict of interest are the main corrupt practices perpetrated in public procurement in Ghana Highway Authority. Also, the study revealed that these corrupt acts are mostly fuelled by the level of remuneration of public officials and lack of transparency in the process. Additionally, the findings revealed that corruption has a strong effect on public procurement, therefore, encouraging inefficiencies like delivery delays and increased contract value. In conclusion, the study recommends that the management of Ghana Highway Authority should introduce random transfer or rotation of staff, especially those involved in procurement processes of the organization. There should be public prosecution of offenders to serve as a deterrent.