GAF to get 10,000 houses under STX project

Accra, Aug. 21, GNA - Mr. Alban Bagbin, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, on Saturday said that the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) would benefit from 10,000 housing units under the STX deal to solve its accommodation problem if completed on scheduled.

He said government took the initiative when it has realized that the security agencies in the country were confronted with acute accommodation challenges.

Mr. Alban Bagbin was addressing a cross-section of officers of the GAF in Accra, as part of an outreach to explain the STX housing project to Military personnel.

He said that under the project, 30,000 housing units were expected to be constructed for the security agencies across the country.

Mr. Bagbin explained that government decided to undertake the STX project to ensure that no individual spent more than thirty per cent of his or her pay on accommodation, saying the project is the best thing Ghana could ever have had, considering the present circumstances globally.

He said the project was designed to suit specifications of the military personnel.

Mr. Bagbin assured owners of structures that would be affected by the implementation of the project of resettlement and asked such persons to cooperate with contractors to ensure a successful completion of the project.

Lieutenant General Joseph Henry Smith, Minister of Defence, said that the accommodation problem of GAF required urgent intervention since the Military has been grappling with the issue.

He said that the STX deal, if implemented would go a long way to offset the huge accommodation burden.

Lt Gen. Peter Augustine Blay, Chief of Defence Staff, said the STX project would ease the accommodation problem and improve the living conditions of soldiers.

He assured Mr. Bagbin that the Armed Forces would cooperate with the authorities to ensure the success of the project.