Govt To Establish ?100bn Housing Project

The government is to establish a ?100-billion long-term housing project to help provide affordable houses for Ghanaians.

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Works and Housing, Mr B.D.K. Adu, announced this at the opening ceremony of the International Building Exhibition 2003 fair at the Accra International Conference Centre yesterday.

The three-day fair, on the theme: "Let's Build It Right — From Foundation to finishing" brought together 60 exhibitors, including companies like the State Housing Company, African Concrete Products, Global Lighting Centre, Krispol Real Estates Limited and Pee Wood Limited. It was organised by the Royal Protocol Management Services.

Building materials such as bricks, designing blocks, roofing and wall tiles, electric lamps and fittings, aluminium products, wood products, variety of paints and carpets were being exhibited at the fair.

Mr Adu, who is the MP for the Akuapem North Constituency, observed that no nation had been able to meet the housing needs of its citizens. He, therefore, urged companies in the building industry to make housing affordable for the people. He also called on mortgage and insurance companies to help solve the housing problem in the country.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, in a speech read on his behalf by a Deputy Minister, Dr Charles Brempong-Yeboah, said the government was committed to developing the housing industry because, it had enormous employment opportunities for both unskilled and skilled labour.

He expressed concern that in recent times, the building and construction industry had been affected by shoddy works which resulted in the collapse of some structures. He expressed the hope that the fair would serve as a platform to educate and inform the exhibitors to adhere and ensure adherence to the building code, regulations and procedures.

The Event Director of the Royal Protocol Management Services, Mrs Marilyn E. Houadjeto, said the main focus of the fair was to bring to the fore issues confronting the building industry and how best to address them through seminars to be held alongside the fair.