Stop any affordable hosing project; audit those at Saglemi, Amasaman, Asokore Mampong abandoned to rot

The Alliance for Truth, Justice, and Accountability (ATJAG) has opposed plans by government to provide affordable housing for public and civil servants.

This comes on the back of news that the government of Ghana is again contemplating the construction of between 100,000 to 250,000 new 'affordable housing units' every year to provide 'affordable residential accommodation' for public and civil servants.

The news of the construction was made known by Mrs. Freda Prempeh, Minister of State in charge of Works and Housing in April this year when a delegation from the State Housing Company (SHC) inspected acres of land secured by the SHC to start the 'affordable housing project' in the Ahafo Region.

In a press release from the Alliance for Truth, Justice, and Accountability, it says the government must as a matter of urgency abandon all plans for the ‘so-called affordable housing project’.

Citing affordable housing projects at Saglemi, Amasaman, and Asokore Mampong that have been abandoned and left to rot, ATJAG insists the government should stop crowding out the private construction industry with so-called 'Affordable' Housing and rather cause an audit into the multi-billion dollar spending that has not yet yielded any results.

The group insists that the astronomical waste and financial scandal exampled by the three projects above should give all Ghanaians great course for concern, and the idea that the government is contemplating building an additional 100,000 housing units under the conditions of such multi-billion dollar waste should be a matter of concern for all.

“Our second reason for opposing the idea of the new government construction is that, without doubt, the adventure would be fueled by yet another public debt. We are at odds to understand the rational for accumulating further public debt for an industry that people engage in without loading government with further debt.

“We believe that any interventions in the housing sector should therefore be aimed at improving the abilities of the private sector in that direction,” the release from ATJAG stated.

The Alliance for Truth, Justice, and Accountability recommends that the government should immediately engage the relevant real estate associations on how it can assist them produce economically, viable, affordable houses in Ghana.

It adds that “Such engagement should not move beyond the area of policy assistance and certainly NOT include a cedi of taxpayer's money.”

Below is the full release from the Alliance for Truth, Justice and Accountability: