Affordable Housing partner is too weak

The Enquirer newspaper says Global Interests LLC of the United States, with whom the Minister for Water Resource; Works and Housing, Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, was said to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of about 15,000 houses to compliment government's Affordable Housing Scheme lacks capacity to deliver its part of the bargain.

“Today, The Enquirer reveals that Global, Interests LLC, the Texas based one man business with whom the Minister signed the $64.5 Dollars agreement has been declared in the United States as a company limping precariously on both legs.”

The paper quotes the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in Austin Texas, as saying "Global Interests LLC is not in good standing as it has not satisfied all tax requirements.”

The big question is how a company that cannot satisfy its tax obligations back home can raise a whopping $64.5 million to finance such a project.

Under the agreement, Global Interests was to finance the construction of the over $64.5 million housing project through their local partners, Goshen International Company Ltd.

The Enquirer said Global Interests LLC is a one man business with one Steve Ams of 9807 HOBART DR, Sugarland, TX.77478 as both President and Director.

“It is this same Steve Ams, of this doddering company in America who said during the signing of the MOU in Accra last week that his company would undertake the project with all dispatch to help meet the accommodation needs of Ghanaians.”

Global Interests LLC is located at 7414 Cook Rd. Houston, TX, 77072-2234. It's tax ID number is 32003221580. The company is believed to have been incorporated on February 28, 2001.

According to the agreement with Global Interests, the company is expected to build the houses which is expected to be spread across the regional capitals and hand over to the government upon completion for onward sale and rental.

According to the Minister, the project is expected to provide accommodation to over 60,000 Ghanaians and in the process offer various types of employment for the youth.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. Owusu-Agyeman disclosed that he had fallen victim to crooked landlords in the early stages of his life, hence his determination to ensure the success of government's affordable Housing Scheme to avoid the recurrence of such incidents.

Hackman noted that with the intervention of the affordable housing scheme, already started, and new ones such as the one from Global Interests LLC, the situation where people spend their whole life saving building on acquiring their own homes will soon be a thing of the past.