Richard Anamoo, a former Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority, has criticized the government’s decision to suspend work on the Saglemi Housing Project. In an interview with The High Street Journal, Mr. Anamoo, who speaks for the National Democratic Congress on infrastructure development, condemned the government’s initial suspension of the project, labeling it a “reckless move” and asserting that the delay was “uncalled for,” given the significant financial repercussions.
“The government needed to engage with experts much earlier to keep the project on track,” Anamoo said. “Stopping it only made things worse.” He expressed concerns about the rising prices of materials and the possibility of looted items in some of the housing units, which could further inflate costs. “Given the current economic climate, prices have skyrocketed, and some materials may have been looted, adding to the overall cost of the project,” he added.
The Saglemi Housing Project aims to provide 5,000 housing units and was initiated by a previous government administration to address Ghana’s 1.8 million housing deficit. Despite its potential to alleviate this pressing issue, the project was halted several years ago, and the government now estimates that it requires approximately $46 million to revive it, according to a statement made by President Akufo-Addo last year.
Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, announced in September that the government had opted to sell the partially completed project to a private entity. As of October 19, 2024, the project has been officially handed over to the QUARM-LMI consortium, raising further questions about the future of this crucial infrastructure development.
With inflation and the depreciation of the cedi driving up costs across various sectors, the delay in completing the Saglemi project has drawn widespread attention, intensifying the debate on the government’s approach to addressing the housing crisis and its attitude towards uncompleted government projects.
Source:thehighstreetjournal.com