Works and Housing Ministry calls for private investors to complete Saglemi affordable housing project

Ghanaian

The Ministry of Works and Housing has issued a call for private investors interested in assisting the government in completing and operationalise the Saglemi affordable housing project.

The call invites proposals from potential investors between April 17, 2024, and July 8, 2024, with the evaluation slated for July 9, 2024.

According to Graphic Online, the contract is

Read full articleexpected to be signed on August 30, 2024, to facilitate the commencement of the project's completion.

The scope of work for the private partner includes completing the 1,506 housing units to habitable standards, demonstrating project financing capabilities, ensuring legal and regulatory compliance, and providing essential infrastructure such as electricity, water supply, sewage treatment, waste disposal, and roads to support residential life.

Prospective applicants are required to have experience in large-scale housing projects, possess the financial capacity, legal standing, and demonstrate technical and managerial ability.

The ministry emphasized the need for innovative solutions, ethical business practices, and a commitment to community engagement. Applicants must also demonstrate how their local involvement would generate employment and contribute to social welfare.

The Saglemi housing project, located near Sege in the Greater Accra Region, was initiated in 2012 with a $200 million loan for the construction of 5,000 housing units, but only 1,506 units were at various stages of completion by the stipulated deadline.

During a ceremony in Accra, the Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, stated that the initiative aims to engage experienced and reputable local and international entities to efficiently complete and operationalise the project.

He highlighted that this approach signifies the government's shift from direct involvement towards a model leveraging private sector innovation, expertise, and capital to address the national deficit in housing demand.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah emphasized the inclusion of a transparency policy in the selection process to uphold principles of fairness, integrity, and transparency.

The policy aims to promote accountability, prevent corruption, and ensure that the procurement process is conducted with utmost integrity and fairness. He expressed the government's commitment to ending the phenomenon of uncompleted or abandoned mass housing projects and highlighted the importance of completing projects to encourage future initiatives and reduce the housing deficit, which stands at over 1.8 million units.