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5th International Building and Construction Exhibition
launched
Accra, July 12, GNA - Ghana requires over 90,000 building
units per annum to meet the housing needs of the public, but
currently it can only achieve less than 40 per cent of the
figure, due to numerous challenges including funding.
To meet these challenges, the government has instituted
various policies and programmes aimed at encouraging private
sector participation and stakeholder involvement in
providing affordable housing schemes to meet the high
demands of the public.
Miss Marilyn Efua Houadjeto, Director of Image Consortium
said at the Media launch of the 5th Ghana International
Building and Construction Exhibition and Seminar on Thursday
that Ghana needed to move at a faster pace to be able to
meet the high market demands for housing.
The exhibition, which is slated for October 12 to 15, 2007
under the theme; "National Assignment: 50 Years of Building
and Housing the People - The Way Forward", would afford
stakeholders the opportunity to reflect on the past, take a
cue from the challenges of the housing industry and
strategise on the way forward to improve upon the
challenges.
Miss Houadjeto, who is also the Exhibition Director, said
Ghana needed to move to the next level of ensuring quality
housing and construction services after 50 years of
independence, just like in the utility service sector, where
telephone and Internet had become almost standard needs of
the people.
She explained that the exhibition and seminars were
initiated four years ago by the Image Consortium to provide
a forum for dialogue on current issues impacting on
stakeholders in the construction and building industry, and
also showcase quality, innovative products and services for
all stages of construction, finishing and furnishing.
Miss Houadjeto acknowledged that though much was being done
to bridge the huge gap, there was the need to double up
efforts and called on all stakeholders in the building and
construction industry to participate to make the exhibition
a success.
She said this years' exhibition would have a two-day
conference which would delve into the challenges and
opportunities inherent in the system and further look at
leveraging on the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS)
objectives of providing an enabling environment to step up
private housing development.
She commended the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and
Housing and other private estate developers for initiating
housing projects across the country, but advised architects
to be more innovative and unique in their designs, "as that
is what brings out our Ghanaian or African culture".
She also called on government to develop a building policy
that would promote the economic use of land by putting up
more flats, high rise apartments and community serviced
residential areas.
"By doing this we would not need to commute across town for
shopping, looking for medical services and schools for our
children, because such well-planned communities would have
all these facilities for easy access.”
Miss Houadjeto attributed the current problem facing the
capital in respect of indiscriminate building to poor
implementation of the actual documented planned lay-out and
the enforcement of the rules, rather than poor planning for
the city.
She expressed the hope that with the rejuvenation of the
Ghana Institute of Planners and the development of the
capacity of the relevant institutions such as the Town and
Country Planning, Lands Commission and the Land Title
Registry, these issues would be addressed.
Mr Kwamena Bartels, outgoing Minister of Information and
National Orientation, who was the special guest of honour,
commended the organisers for the success chalked so far and
appealed to the media for more coverage and education on the
exhibition to create awareness among the public.
He said the Ministry was proud to be associated with the
event and would lend whatever support it had to ensure its
success and expressed the hope that the exhibition would
lead to addressing some of the urgent needs of country's
housing industry.
Mr. Christopher Addae, Deputy Minister of Water Resources,
Works and Housing, who officially launched the event said
the country had not attained an average housing requirement
since independence due to challenges such as funding and
land acquisition.
He stated that government for the past few years had
succeeded in convincing and encouraging the banks to provide
mortgage loans to cater for needs of both private
contractors and for individual housing projects.
"Government is also talking with insurance companies in the
country to also consider investing in the housing industry
and we hope this will help make affordable housing real to
Ghanaians after 50 years," he said.
Mr Addae appealed for participation of all concerned with
building and construction to make the programme successful.
GNA
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