On Tuesday 20th February 2024, in a formal ceremony held at the Ministry of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye gracefully passed the baton to the newly appointed Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
Expressing gratitude to the dedicated staff and management of the Ministry for their unwavering support during his tenure, Asenso-Boakye urged them to extend the same cooperation to the incoming Minister.
Mr Asenso-Boakye 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 added that the ministry chalked some modest achievements during his time.
He mentioned the establishment of the National Rental Assistance Scheme (NRAS), aimed at assisting low-to-middle-income earners with rent advance payments, thus 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 is regulated real estate transactions and also promotes transparency and adherence to standards in the real estate market.
Efforts to review and amend the Rent Act, of 1963, and the Rent Control Law, of 1986, are underway, with a draft Bill currently before parliament, aimed at removing the inherent constraints and stimulating private investment into the sector. He added the rent control has been working on the digitization of the Rent Control Department to better serve the public; and their digitized operations will commence next month.
Mr Asenso-Boakye also initiated steps towards the establishment of 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.
Noteworthy among his initiatives is the revised National Affordable Housing Programme, which seeks to subsidize housing for Ghanaians through the provision of land and infrastructure and invites 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, 112 apartment units are currently under construction.
Incoming Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah 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.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and Francis Asenso-Boakye