The newly appointed Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has bemoaned the inadequate staffing at the housing ministry.
He wondered how the less-than-10 staff members could solve the housing challenges facing about 1.8 million people.
“Seven people to tackle a housing deficit of 1.8 million that is on the low side [sic]. And I think this speaks to the kind of architecture that we’re using because we need to develop a policy framework that makes it easier for the private sector to come on board and work with you. And so from our side as a ministry, we need to do more,” the Ofoase-Ayirebi legislator made these remarks in an interview on JoyNews on Thursday, March 28.
The former Information Minister believes that the current architectural framework employed to bridge the country’s housing gap is insufficient to adequately address the issue.
He highlighted the stark contrast between the colossal challenge and the few resources available, disclosing that the Ministry’s Housing Directorate had only seven employees.
“Over the years, the architecture that we have used in an attempt to tackle it, in my view, has not been robust enough. Here at the Housing Ministry, we only have a staff of seven in the Housing Directorate,” he underscored.
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Mr. Nkrumah, who has now taken over as Minister for Works and Housing, has stated that he is devoted to increasing the Ministry’s capability by calling for reinforcements such as land economists, surveyors, architects, and planning specialists.
According to him, this move will strengthen the Directorate’s skills and build a comprehensive strategy to address the housing gap head-on.