Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
The Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, announced yesterday that 10 companies have shown interest in the government’s request for proposals for a private developer to complete and operationalise the Saglemi affordable housing project.
According to him, these companies, which include both local and international entities, are putting together the necessary dilapidation reports and proposals according to the work plan after visiting the project site for inspection.
Addressing the media in Parliament yesterday, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said the government was expecting to formally receive all of the bids by July 8, 2024 and would hand over same to an independent evaluation entity which will “give us an evaluation report.”
“And then based on that evaluation report, the government will proceed to select one of the bidders. It may be a single entity or a consortium of entities,” the Minister hinted.
He indicated that when that selection is done, the Ministry will get the necessary cabinet approvals, sign a contract with the entity and handover Saglemi to it to complete and operationalise the project.
“We’re also going through the process of selecting this independent evaluation organization. We’ll be going before the PPA to get one selected and then they will do their evaluation and based on that, we will make a decision,” he stated.
It will be recalled that in 2012, the government took a loan of about $200 million to build 5,000 housing units.
According to Mr. Nkrumah, just 1,506 of the units were partially completed, excluding three major components like water, electricity and sewage infrastructure.
“When the Ghana Institute of Surveyors did their assessment they said we needed about $100 million to complete this 1,506 and the government took a decision that within the difficult financial constraints, it’s very difficult to find that extra 100 million after $200 million has been spent.
“So cabinet took a decision that we should select a private developer or consortium of private developers, and let them make the investment so that we can operationalise it,” he said.
“We are committed to completing these uncompleted projects. In Koforidua as well, one of President Kufuor’ affordable housing projects before 2008 is still out there.
“The State Housing Company, based on the instructions that we gave, is also going through a process of re-awarding a contract for that particular project to be completed so that they can complete that project as well,” the Minister asserted.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House