Asenso-Boakye hands over to Oppong Nkrumah at works and housing ministry

The former Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has handed over to his successor at the ministry, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.

This happened during a brief, formal event on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at the Ministry of Works and Housing, a statement from the ministry has said.

Expressing gratitude to the staff and management of the ministry, Asenso-Boakye, who is now the Minister of Roads and Highways, thanked them for their unwavering support during his tenure while urging them to extend the same cooperation to the incoming Minister.

Francis Asenso-Boakye also recounted how the ministry, which primarily deals with public infrastructure, suffered from underfunding because of the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the country's finances, but that notwithstanding, he was able to chalk some modest achievements during his time.

He mentioned the establishment of the National Rental Assistance Scheme (NRAS), which is aimed at assisting low-to-middle-income earners with rent advance payments and enhancing housing accessibility. He added that the NRAS has benefitted 1,492 individuals as of January 31, 2024.

"Furthermore, Asenso-Boakye's tenure saw the transformation of the Hydrological Services Department into the autonomous Ghana Hydrological Authority through the passage of the Ghana Hydrological Authority Act, 2022 (Act 1085). This move has significantly bolstered water management practices across the nation.

"Additionally, the establishment of the Real Estate Agency Council (REAC) under Asenso-Boakye's tenure is to regulate real estate transactions and also promote transparency and adherence to standards in the real estate market.

"Efforts to review and amend the Rent Act, 1963, and the Rent Control Law, 1986, are underway, with a draft Bill currently before parliament, aimed at removing the inherent constraints and stimulating private investment into the sector," the statement said.

He added that they have also been working on digitizing the Rent Control Department to serve the public better and that their digitized operations will commence in March 2024.

Asenso-Boakye is also said to have initiated steps towards establishing the Ghana Housing Authority (GHA) to regulate, plan and manage public housing, including affordable housing, particularly for low-to-middle-income earners.

"This has received cabinet approval, and it's on its way to parliament for consideration and approval. The ministry also was successful in the passage of new building regulations with the view to ensuring a resilient built environment," it added.

Noteworthy among his other initiatives is the revised National Affordable Housing Programme, which seeks to subsidize housing for Ghanaians by providing land and infrastructure and inviting the private sector to come, build and sell at an agreed price.

The first project under this programme is the Pokuase Affordable Housing Project, which is to build 8000 housing units. Infrastructure works are currently going on at the site.

Moreover, significant strides were made in the Redevelopment Programme, with housing units built for public sector workers at various locations, including Ridge, Airport Residential Area, Ringway Estate, and Lartebiokorshie, and 112 apartment units currently under construction.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, on his part, commended Asenso-Boakye and the ministry staff for their remarkable achievements despite the economic challenges, promising to build upon their successes in service to the nation.

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AE