GHANA PROPERTY AWARDS HELD IN ACCRA (PAGE 32)

The Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing is revising the legislation on the operations of estate developers in the country.
The revision is to protect the interests of home buyers and the environment.
This is to address the challenges in the real estate sector, especially the failure of estate developers to meet their contractual obligations to home buyers.
Dr Louisa Hanna Bisiw, Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, who announced this, said another problem identified with real estates had been inadequate infrastructure and services, resulting in the estates degenerating into slums.
Dr Bisiw, who delivered the keynote address at Ghana Property Awards night in Accra last Friday, said the recent devastating floods in Accra were due to the lack of efficient drainage system and other infrastructure.
She explained that the government was reviewing the housing sector to provide sustainable solutions to the acute shortage of houses for ordinary Ghanaians.
The deputy minister said the government had adopted a two-pronged approach to mobilise funds both domestically and internationally to support the housing industry.
Dr Bisiw reminded estate developers that the focus of the government was to make housing affordable to low-income workers, and to achieve this, developers ought to adopt cost- saving technologies and techniques of construction as well as innovative mortgage financing instruments.
She noted that the government was anticipating that in the coming years, the services of good property managing companies would become more in demand as they partnered government to deliver affordable estates houses nationwide.
She said estates houses would have to be managed professionally as a well-functioning communities with efficient social services in a clean and safe environment.
Dr Bisiw congratulated the award winners and advised them not to rest on their laurels, but to persevere to reach higher heights in the construction and building industry.
Mr Robert Wegbe, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Property Awards, said the Ghana Property Awards was instituted by Ghana Real Estates Developers Association (GREDA), in collaboration with Property Express since 2007 to consolidate the gains of developers in the building construction and the hospitality industries.
The aim of the awards, he explained, was to bring healthy competition among developers and operators through recognition, appreciation and encouragement of excellence and innovative real estate solutions, thereby enhancing standards and competitive pricing.
Some of the award winners included Landscaper of the Year which was snatched by Munisco Gardens; Architectural Firm of the Year was taken by Akuffo and Associates, while Property Entrepreneur of the Year went to Mr Seth Adu of Devtraco Ltd.
In all, about 30 awards were won, with the most-coveted award, Property Personality of the Year,offered to Mr Emmanuel Botchway of Regimanuel Gray Ltd.