Town planning staff warned against negative practices

Cape Coast, July 25, GNA - The Director of the Town and Country Planning Department, Mr. Edward Karbo, on Thursday, warned staff of the Department against acts retarding socio-economic development.

He said they should stop practices like delays in the processing and issuance of development and building permits, re-zoning of sites earmarked for community facilities and other acts, likely to generate inter-departmental and public conflicts and suspicion.

Mr. Karbo, who gave the warning when he addressed personnel of the Department in the Central Region at Cape Coast, at the start of a two-day tour of the region, also urged them to stop "private jobs," which he said, affected the image of the Department.

He urged the staff to help in protecting the region's potentials including eco-tourism, by helping to stem indiscriminate land development and erection of structures.

The challenges inhibiting the Department's effective land use planning included an outmoded planning legislation operating side by side with many other laws and the lack of up-to-date base maps. Mr. Karbo said plans had been made to strengthen the overall national framework for effective land use, planning, management and greater decentralisation to ensure administrative and technical accountability.

He said priority areas were restructuring and institutional reforms, human resource capacity development, standards setting and quality control, adding that, a draft final report on the restructuring consultations had been completed and would be submitted to the Sector Ministry for further action, Mr. Karbo stated.

The Director said the administration was determined to "carve a new image" for the Department by transforming it into an effective, technically competent and proactive outfit, of well trained and motivated staff.

The Regional Director, Mr. Frank Bosomtwe, mentioned lack of equipment and vehicles as some of the problems facing the Department in the region.