National road portfolio expands to 68,000km

Accra, Oct. 23, GNA- The national road network portfolio has increased from 37,321 kilometres in 2000, to 68,114 kilometres in 2007, while the percentage of good roads has been expanded from 29 per cent in 2000, to 39 per cent in 2006.

Vice President Alhaji Mahama, who made this known when he opened the 6th International Building and Construction Exhibition in Accra on Thursday, said the feat was part of the infrastructural development agenda of government.

The three-day event, which is under the auspices of the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, is on the theme: "The Future in Our Hands, Planning Responsibly for Tomorrow."

Seventy (70) firms from Ghana, South Africa, Spain, Mexico, Italy, United Arabs Emirates and Israel are patronising the exhibition. Alhaji Mahama said government had sourced 10 billion Ghana Cedis from HFC Bank for workers to own houses through mortgages. He observed that the planning authorities have been overwhelmed by the indiscipline prevailing in the building sector, which has been compounded by the inability of state institutions to exercise their mandate to enforce laws pertaining to the construction industry. Alhaji Mahama said the phenomenon had led to problems like flooding, which resulted in loss of lives and property. Mr. Frank Tackie, President of the Institute of Planners noted that, Ghana lacks the full complement of planners for effective operations.

He said currently only 60 out of the 166 district assemblies have planning officers at post.

Mr Tackie asked the Town and Country Planning Department, to update its operations in order to catch up with the demands of the time and also privatise some of the technical component of its operations. Mrs. Marilyn Efua Houadjeto, Exhibition Director said lack of planning had led to the emergence of slums and poor quality social amenities in the towns and cities, leading to natural disasters and poor environmental health.

Mr William Nii Teiko Evans Anfom, President of the Institute of Architects and Chairman of the function, expressed the need for Ghana to embrace the infrastructural challenges that is associated with the country's favourable economic environment and the huge oil find.