The Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Ernest Norgbey has threatened to seek legal redress over the procurement of Scientific Mathematical Instruments (SMI) meant to eliminate examination malpractices in the country.
His intention follows the approval of the $3.2 million tax waiver by Parliament on Monday for the importation of mathematical sets by Messrs Bluegrass Group Limited to supply 853,009 units of Kapek SMI at the Unit cost of ¢75 to the Ghana WAEC to assist in conduct examinations.
But in an interview with Adom News, Mr Norbey said the procurement method used by the Education Ministry is in breached of Section 41 (b) of the Public Procurement Act.
Hence, he is considering several options including legal redress to challenge the procurement method used.
"It is just unfortunate that parliament approved such a huge amount of tax waiver for this illegality.
"This is because I have seen it in a different manner that, you cannot procure a mathematical set, which is a common commodity under single-source procurement," he stated.
He also questioned why the contract was awarded to the company through sole-sourcing arrangement without opening it to other entities to bid for the contract.
Adding that, the Education Ministry already knew that it had to procure mathematical sets this year, thus, the outfit should have prepared a procurement plan that would have peotected the public purse.
"I cannot fathom why a whole Ministry, knowing perfectly well that these students were to write exams in April if not for Covid-19, will rush to procure mathematical set under single-source procurement," he stated.
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