$130m Loan for housing units

A LOAN agreement between the Government of Ghana and EURO-AM Corporation of Delaware, USA, for an amount of US$130 million for the construction of 15,000 high-rise low-cost housing units in the country, was yesterday laid before Parliament.

The agreement, which was laid by the Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, Madam Theresa Ameley Tagoe, was immediately referred to the Joint Finance Committee and the Committee on Works and Housing for the necessary parliamentary scrutiny.


It is anticipated that should the agreement be approved by Parliament, it would help to accelerate the growth of the housing sector and thereby reduce the pressure for accommodation, particularly in the nation’s capital, Accra, and the regional capitals.


Before the agreement was laid, some members of the House had quizzed the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Professor Dominic Fobih, on issues relating to the environment in the wake of the celebration of World Environment Day on Tuesday.


The minister said at the moment, two compapanies have been established in Accra and Pokuase, in the Ga District, to recycle polythene (plastic) waste materials.


The two companies, the minister explained, buy plastic waste materials from the public in certain parts of Accra.

‘’With a value having been placed on the materials, there should be a reduction in the quantities of the plastic waste which are indiscriminately disposed of to degrade our environment,’’ Prof. Fobih said.


He said an Austrian company has also expressed interest in setting up a similar factory in Kumasi.


Prof. Fobih said his ministry has been working on the fundamental proposal to recycle plastic waste materials into other useful products for some time now.


‘’Mr Speaker, I am happy to say that through discussions, various investors have expressed interest in helping the country address its waste management problem.


The minister said it is very important for members of the public to be more disciplined in the manner in which they handle their wastes.

‘’If we all stop the indiscriminate disposal of waste, the environment will be aesthetically better for all of us’’, he said.


Some members also expressed concern about the rate of accidents, in the country and called on the government to take stringent measures to reduce the carnage on the roads.


They said the country’s human resources cannot be wasted through accidents som