The minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Francis Asenso-Boakye has inaugurated an 8 member government building inventory committee to undertake an inventory of government buildings both residential and office accommodations across all 16 regions in the country and presents a report on these properties in three months.
In a short remark, Mr. Asenso-Boakye said “the ministry in recent times is losing track of government properties that are under its supervision across the country and therefore, it has become necessary for a comprehensive inventory to be undertaken, and among other things, to capture the current state of these properties, check their integrity, and recover government properties sited across the country which have fallen into illegal hands”.
The Member of Parliament for Abetifi, Mr. Bryan Acheampong who chairs the committee was optimistic that his team will achieve its goals within the stipulated time and urged the public to volunteer information on the whereabouts of any government building they know about.
“If you have knowledge or information of any government property, make that information available to us to pursue and retrieve it for the state, we are not going to witch-hunt or identify people to prosecute them, we just want to identify the houses and make sure that government has proper inventory of these assets”.
The chairman of the committee, Mr. Bryan Acheampong also indicated that the committee will soon announce telephone numbers that members of the public can call and report any government property to the ministry of works and housing.
Committee members include madam Glory Nana Yaa Nartey, Dr. Anim Odame, a senior technical advisor, Mr. Solomon Osei Gyamera from the Finance Ministry and head of estates, lands commission, Mrs. Laura Tetteh.
The others are, Mrs. Joyce Wereko-Ampim Opoku and Mr. Collins Atta Tabiri, a retired assistant auditor general.
The committee is expected to among others validate the exercise and location of government buildings offices, and residential accommodation, determine the functionality of government buildings, offices, and accommodation, compile data on properties occupied by retired public servants who continue to live in official bungalows and, bequeathed those properties to relations and compile data on properties that have either been converted to other uses, or sold outright.
Also, the committee will identify the location of government properties, the state of the properties, and persons or institutions occupying them, reconcile and prepare reports of property records and establish accountability and responsibility over the properties.
Mr. Asenso-Boakye tasked the committee to liaise with the MDAs and MMDAs for the conduct of the physical inventory of government buildings, offices, and residential accommodations, to attest to the physical existence of such properties.
