The government has announced that the newly established Value for Money Office will serve as a central oversight mechanism for major public road projects, with particular focus on contracts awarded through single-source procurement arrangements.
According to officials, the office is expected to introduce an additional layer of scrutiny into how road infrastructure projects are designed, priced, and executed, with the aim of ensuring that public funds are spent efficiently and that projects reflect genuine national priorities.
The reform forms part of broader efforts to strengthen accountability in the management of public capital expenditure, especially in the road sector, which continues to absorb a significant portion of government infrastructure spending.
The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, explained that the Value for Money Office will be responsible for reviewing selected road projects before they receive final approval.
He noted that the institution will assess whether proposed projects are economically sound, properly costed, and capable of delivering measurable benefits to taxpayers.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, June 15, he said the framework has been designed to address long-standing concerns about cost efficiency and transparency in infrastructure procurement, particularly in situations where contracts are awarded under expedited or restricted procurement procedures.
He further indicated that under the new arrangement, all public sector single-source contracts that exceed a defined threshold will be required to obtain clearance from the Value for Money Office before any award is made. In addition, such contracts will also require Cabinet approval as part of the multi-layered review process.
According to him, the intention is to ensure that even urgent or strategically important road projects are subjected to technical and financial evaluation before implementation, rather than bypassing due process due to time constraints or emergency considerations.
The minister explained that the Value for Money Office will undertake detailed assessments of proposed road works, including cost benchmarks, project scope, procurement justification, and expected socio-economic impact.
These evaluations, he said, will help determine whether a project aligns with national development objectives and whether its estimated cost reflects prevailing market conditions.
The reforms are expected to directly affect the procurement of road construction, rehabilitation, and emergency repair works, many of which have traditionally been executed under fast-tracked procurement arrangements due to deteriorating infrastructure conditions or unforeseen events such as flooding and road collapses.
Officials, however, have indicated that the system is being structured to avoid unnecessary delays in project delivery.
They argue that while oversight will be strengthened, the process will also take into account the urgency of certain road works, particularly those linked to public safety and critical transport corridors.
As part of the new procurement transparency measures, government says procurement entities will also be required to publish details of approved road contracts on a centralised e-procurement platform.
This will include financial values, contract scope, and beneficial ownership information, allowing for greater public visibility into how infrastructure contracts are awarded and executed.
The reforms are expected to reshape how road infrastructure projects are processed within the public procurement system, particularly those initiated under expedited procedures or emergency conditions.
