Government will soon introduce mortgage scheme for public sector workers as part of efforts to provide affordable home ownership for Ghanaians.
This was revealed by the Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye at the 7th Opemsuo lecture on spatial planning and globalization by the Asante Professional Club at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
The Seventh Edition of the Opemsuo Lecture chaired by Nana Addae Gyamera I, the chief of Feyiase, also brought together other notable speakers including Mariam Agyemang Gyasi Jawhary, lawyer and land law expert, Oheneba Owusu Afriyie IV, Otumfuo Apagyahene and Architect, Professor Daniel Agyemang Duah, Lecturer at the Department of Architecture, KNUST.
This lecture was delivered by Architect Osei Kwame Agyeman on Asante Architectural Heritage – values, symbols and globalization.
According to the sector minister, the development forms part of government’s housing programmes to reduce the country’s housing deficit of 1.8million as indicated by the Ghana Statistical Service.
“We are working with the Ministry of Finance to raise the necessary capital so that Ghanaians can enjoy moderate arrangement and buy a house and pay for it over a long period of time.”
“The kind of affordable housing that the government is putting in place is a situation where a lot of government workers will be able to spend up to about 30% of the income as mortgages.”
He added that the government will also launch a programme to provide subsidy to private developers, by leveraging on public lands, and provision of other social amenities to reduce construction cost for about 40% for private developers to construct affordable housing facilities for citizens.
“Currently government is leveraging on public lands to support with infrastructure components such as roads, electricity among others to reduce the cost of construction by 40% and give these lands to private developers.
The minister also mentioned that government will soon establish the Ghana Housing Authority, an institution that will champion public housing development and also bridge the institutional gap affecting the feasibility and viability of public housing in the country.
“We have taken the necessary steps to set up the Ghana Housing Authority, and the duty of this institution will be to develop, plan and manage public housing in Ghana and will also serve as a regulator, because it is going to ensure harmonisation and standardisation of our housing development in Ghana.”
The Ɔpemsoɔ Lectures, is an annual public lecture series organized by Asante Professional Club (APC), under the auspices Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
It is a unique, voluntary, not-for-profit association that brings together professionals of Asante descent to work together in furtherance of the development of the Asante Kingdom and Ghana.
Irene Pomaa Kumi
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