Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 27 Nov. '98

The Conference of Regional Ministers has called on the Ministry of Works and Housing to review the policy on the sale of low cost houses and issue a directive to clarify the situation. The conference reiterated its position that the low cost units assigned to the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies should not be sold. Instead the houses should be transferred to the respective assemblies for their management and maintenance. The call was made in a 31-point resolution issued in Kumasi today at the end of a four-day 13th Conference of Regional Ministers. It commended the ministry for the policy initiatives taken so far to accelerate housing delivery to resolve the acute housing problem in the country and supported the decision of the assemblies to set aside five per cent of their share of the common fund to support rural housing programmes. On the economy, the conference expressed its satisfaction that targets set were on course but expressed dismay at the resurgence of "ghost names" on government pay rolls and pledged to ensure that spending officers and finance officers "clean" their books. The Regional Ministers noted that government alone cannot finance the implementation of the Regional Tourism Investment and Development Plans and asked the private sector to get involved in the development, management and provision of services at the tourism sites.. They noted that the establishment of the Local Government Service was essential for the efficient and effective functioning of the assemblies and therefore urged the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to ensure that the bill is laid before Parliament as soon as possible. The conference noted that the implementation of the guidelines in the utilisation of the Member of Parliament's Constituency Fund have not been complied with and decided to intensify the monitoring roles of the Regional Co-ordinating Councils (RCCs) to ensure compliance. The 14th Conference is to be held at Bolgatanga in March or April, next year.