Digitalizing Public Procurement in Ghana: A GGPA Governance Intelligence Assessment

This inaugural issue of the GGPA Governance Intelligence Publication Series applies GGPA's five-pillar analytical framework to procurement digitalization in Ghana one of Africa's most consequential governance reform agendas. Public procurement represents an estimated 15–20% of Ghana's GDP and constitutes the single largest channel of public expenditure across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). Despite the Public Procurement Act 2016 (Act 914) and the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), persistent governance failures occur at the point of implementation. The Brief applies GGPA's five Technical Governance Pillars to assess current practice: Transparency and Accountability (selective disclosure with 60–90-day delays, no real-time contract disclosure); Rule of Law and Justice (PPA framework exists but enforcement inconsistent at district level); Participation and Inclusion (no structured citizen feedback mechanism, vendor blacklisting non-transparent); Effectiveness and Efficiency (e-procurement pilots in select MDAs but not institution-wide, digital skills deficit); and Equity and Human Rights (systemic barriers for youth-led and women-owned enterprises, SME participation untracked). Three GGPA Compendium benchmark findings are presented against Volumes IV and VI standards. Three priority recommendations are proposed: a Mandatory Real-Time Contract Disclosure Portal connecting all MDAs with 5-business-day publication requirement; Beneficial Ownership Integration via automated API connection between vendor registration database and EOCO beneficial ownership registry; and Digital Governance Certification for Procurement Officers integrated into standard PPA curriculum by Q4 2026. Aligned with SDG 16.6, SDG 9.1, AU Agenda 2063 Aspiration 3, and ECOWAS Governance Protocol Article 4.