The Board Chair of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) of Lesotho, Thandy Pino, has described Ghana as a leading example in public procurement governance, following a benchmarking visit aimed at strengthening Lesotho’s newly established procurement system.
She noted that Lesotho’s Public Procurement Authority, established under the 2023 Public Procurement Act, is still in its early stages and is actively learning from countries with more established systems to enhance transparency, efficiency, and value for money in public spending.
“So Lesotho is still fairly new in terms of public procurement regulation. The Act was only passed in 2023, while Ghana has over 20 years of experience under its Public Procurement Act,” she said.
Pino emphasized that the visit was not intended for a direct replication of Ghana’s system but rather a strategic learning exercise to adapt best practices to Lesotho’s specific governance and economic context.
“We are not here to copy and paste what Ghana is doing. We are here to understand what we can adapt and tailor to our environment,” she added.
The delegation highlighted Ghana’s experience as particularly valuable due to its long-standing implementation of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), which has been credited with improving transparency in public spending, strengthening competitive tendering processes, and reducing procurement irregularities through institutional oversight mechanisms such as the Public Procurement Authority of Ghana.
Ghana’s procurement framework is widely recognized within development governance circles, with reforms over the years focusing on e-procurement systems, audit compliance, and value-for-money assessments in public contracts.
For Lesotho, the engagement is part of broader efforts to modernize its procurement architecture, reduce inefficiencies, and strengthen accountability in public financial management. The Lesotho Public Procurement Authority (LPPA) is expected to play a central role in centralizing procurement oversight and improving compliance across government institutions.
Story by: Francis Sowah
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