Procurement on Big Push: PPA refuses to release information to The Fourth Estate
The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has denied The Fourth Estate access to information on procurements under the government’s flagship Big Push programme.
In a letter dated May 29, 2026, and signed by the PPA’s Acting Director Legal, the Authority stated that the “PPA is unable to provide the requested breakdown of road sector procurement approval requests submitted between 1st January 2025 and 28th February 2026 by the Ghana Highway Authority, Department of Urban Roads, and Department of Feeder Roads, together with the related follow-ups.”
The letter was in response to an internal appeal The Fourth Estate submitted to the Chief Executive Officer of the PPA on May 13, 2026, requesting a review of the institution’s Information Officer’s decision to deny the team the requested information.
On February 16, 2026, The Fourth Estate submitted a right to information (RTI) application requesting road contracts approved by the PPA under the Big Push programme. The PPA responded on March 3, stating that it is unable to provide the information because the Authority does not approve contracts.
In March 2026, The Fourth Estate, in an updated application, requested from the PPA information on road contract procurement approval requests that the Authority has received from the Ghana Highway Authority, Department of Urban Roads, and Department of Feeder Roads since January 2025. But the Information Officer of the PPA refused to respond to the application. Under the Right to Information Act 2019, Act 989, it is deemed a refusal when an information officer fails to respond to an application.
Subsequently, The Fourth Estate, through an internal appeal, petitioned the CEO of the PPA, in line with Section 31 of the law and in the hope that the head of the institution would make a different determination from the Information Officer.
But the May 29 response to the team further affirmed the PPA’s decision to deny The Fourth Estate access to information on their approvals of road contract procurements.
The PPA’s defence for refusing to release the information is that the “Authority does not approve contracts”, the same as the response to the February 16 request.
The PPA’s justification is inconsistent with The Fourth Estate’s application, which requested information on procurement approval requests on road contracts (not approval of road contracts), which lies with the Authority.
Under the procurement law, any public entity seeking to use single-source procurement must write to the Authority and justify why they want to use the uncompetitive method, or where the method is used, the entity must seek ratification from the PPA.
The PPA’s refusal to release information adds to a recent trend of public institutions denying The Fourth Estate’s RTI requests.
In May 2025, The Fourth Estate dragged Parliament to the RTI Commission after the legislature failed to release information on expenditure on foreign medical travels of the Speaker.
Similarly, in December 2025, The Fourth Estate took the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) to the RTI Commission. This was after YEA refused to provide a list of contracts the Agency had signed with Zoomlion Company Limited from 2017 to 2024.
The Fourth Estate’s quest for information on procurement approvals on road contracts follows its latest investigation, which revealed how the Ministry of Roads and Highways had resorted mainly to the award of contracts under the Big Push programme through single-sourcing.
The investigation revealed that out of 107 road contracts awarded under the Big Push programme, 81 were singled-sourced, and the remaining 26 were awarded on a restricted tendering basis, with none awarded under competitive tendering.
The story also showed a glaring contrast between the promises and pledges made by President Mahama and other key officials of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) when they were in opposition about limiting the abuse of single-sourcing and what’s currently happening under their supervision in government.
After the story, President Mahama requested The Fourth Estate to submit a full report on the matter to his office. He also directed the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, to respond to the allegations contained in the report.
The Presidency is yet to release its findings.
Source: The Fourth Estate