Accra, Nov. 24, GNA - The Government has initiated moves to collaborate with the private sector to build a multi-storey car park and other commercial facilities in the ministries area, a government official said on Tuesday.

Mr Albert Abongo, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, told journalists in Accra that "government has decided to initiate and facilitate the development of a multi-storey car park with complementary prime commercial facilities within the ministries area using private sector funding".

The minister made the announcement when he took his turn at the government's meet-the-press series and presented an 11-page report on activities and development within the water and housing sectors over the past 10 months.

He noted that over the years, demand for parking for visitors and office staff alike within the ministries area had been rising. Mr Abongo said apart from the parking problem, there was also the need for commercial facilities like banks, restaurants and food courts among other things.

He said the appropriate advertisement had been carried out and the response from prospective developers had been commendable. "This project should take off as a soon as we have evaluated the bids and done due process," he said.

The minister's presentation also covered areas like rural water, urban water, housing and flood control and coastal protection works.

Mr Abongo said currently the coverage for rural water was 57.14 per cent, adding that the target was to reach 60 per cent by the close of this year and 76 per cent by 2013.

He said part of the measures being implemented to achieve the target include at least six small town water and sanitation projects being funded from overseas grants and loans plus counter funding from government in various communities across country.

The minister mentioned the $51 million project designed to supply potable water for 550,000 people and good sanitation for 50,000 people across the Upper East, Upper West, Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti, Western and Central regions.

There is also the 23.9 million-euro grant from the European Union for the provision of 20 small town water systems each for the Western and Central regions, among others.

Mr. Abongo said current urban water supply level stood at 646,494 cubic meters per day out of the over 1.1 million cubic meters per day needed. "The effective urban water supply coverage is currently 59 per cent and it is expected to hit 75 per cent by 2013 as a result of various water projects all over the country," he said.

He named some of the projects as the Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area (ATMA) rural water supply project; Kpong water supply expansion; mechanisation of Accra boreholes; Kasoa interconnection and others in Sunyani, Kumasi, Wa, Yendi and Damongo and other areas.

He also mentioned the desalination plant at Teshie-Nungua intended to start treating at least 4.4 million gallons of sea water into potable water per day beginning from the fourth quarter of next year. On housing, Mr. Abongo assured the public that the government would continue with the affordable housing projects started by the previous government in 2006.

He said measures had been put in place to ensure that at least 2,000 out of 5,000 housing units started by the previous government, would be ready for occupation by the middle of next year. Mr Abongo outlined measures put in place by government in collaboration with the private sector to supply 200,000 low-income housing units over the next five years.

He said government had laid before Parliament a $250 million agreement with US-based Renaissance Management Group for the construction of affordable housing across country. The project includes the development of 300 housing units for members of parliament, ministers and state protocol. On the issue of retired state employees and their families still occupying state bungalows, he said it was a difficult puzzle for the ministry to solve because in the past governments had been criticised for forcibly ejecting such persons.

The minister assured the public that contractors who had taken mobilisation funds for state projects and abandoned them would be made to face the full rigours of the law or their insurance cover would be used to cover the money they collected from the state. 24 Nov. 09