The Ministry of Health says it did not breach procurement processes in awarding the over GHC3 million condom contract to Pharmaceutical Company, Pharmanova.

The Indian company was awarded the contract to supply over twenty-six thousand male condoms.

Critics have questioned why local pharmaceutical companies were not given the contract.

But speaking to Citi News, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Elorm Ametepe said the contract was awarded after an International competitive tendering process.

According to him, after financial evaluation and tests by the FDA on the condoms, the company that offered the lowest price was given the contract.

“It was an international competitive tender which was advertised so it was open to all companies both local and international. After the initial evaluation, samples of the condoms submitted by each of the bidders were sent to the Food and Drugs Authority for quality testing. Only those condoms that passed the quality testing were evaluated financially. The company that offered the least price was selected and in accordance with the procurement law, the recommendations of the evaluation report were sent to the central tender review committee and they scrutinized and gave their approval.”

He said the contract was given in accordance with the procurement law, the recommendations of the evaluation report were sent to the Central Tender Review Committee.

“There is this erroneous impression that the public procurement authority gives approval for a recommendation for the award of contracts. The law requires that the results of the tender are published at the GPA website. Once this is done, we do not see any wrongdoing.”