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Architects Advocate for Improved Built Environment and Local Assembly Collaboration
VoltagreenCT’s $10 Billion Smart City Project Set to Transform Ghana’s Volta Region
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Real Estate Chamber achieves new gains for local market: Egyp
Architects Advocate for Improved Built Environment and Local Assembly Collaboration
Foster Osae-Akonnor, President of the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA), highlighted the GIA’s commitment to improving Ghana’s built environment through planned and high-quality construction.
He expressed concern over unregulated buildings in Ghana due to the absence of architects in local assemblies.
Osae-Akonnor called for architects’ involvement in all municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) and emphasized the architects’ role in upholding construction standards. He also mentioned the GIA’s collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government to create a 10-year strategic plan.
Osae-Akonnor encouraged the public to engage professional architects for safe and sustainable construction.
The meeting also addressed issues of high costs for architects’ services and accessibility concerns, emphasizing the need for architects’ involvement in solving these problems.
VoltagreenCT’s $10 Billion Smart City Project Set to Transform Ghana’s Volta Region
VoltagreenCT Development Company, a US-based Ghanaian firm, has announced plans to undertake a smart- city project as part of efforts to accelerate growth and development in Ghana.
Dubbed: ‘VOLTAGREENCT Project,” the over $10billion 10-year initiative, is aimed at addressing the housing deficits by building an eco-friendly smart city, powered by green energy through solar systems in the Volta Region.
The first phase of the project, which is a collaboration between some foreign and local partners, is expected to be launched at Mafi-Anfoe, a community in the Central Tongu District of the Volta region on September 16, this year.
Mr Nii Okai Parbey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of VoltagreenCT Development Company, said with support from the Chiefs and people of Mafi-Anfoe, they had acquired about a 30,000-acre land in the community where they plan to develop the site into a modern and smart city as part of efforts to develop the region.
He said they would build modern affordable homes, state of the art hospitals, recreational facilities, banks, schools, and shopping centres among others.
He said the Volta region was strategically chosen for the project because of its status as a key tourism hub in Ghana with its strategic location playing a significant role in facilitating trade and commerce across the West African sub-region.
Asokwa Municipal Assembly to take over property rates collection
Members of the Asokwa Municipal Assembly have voted to regain control of property rate collection starting in October. This decision comes as a response to their dissatisfaction with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and its third-party agent, Digital City Solutions, which has resulted in a substantial decline in revenue compared to when the assembly managed collections internally.
During a special General Assembly meeting, Elliott Banor, the Presiding Member, highlighted the significant difference in revenue. In the previous year, when the assembly handled property rate collection, they generated over one million Internally Generated Funds (IGF). However, since the GRA and Digital City Solutions took over, the assembly received just a little over GH¢27,000 for the same period this year, with zero revenue in the first quarter.
Banor stressed that the assembly has traditionally relied on IGF to fund its physical projects. However, the sharp decrease in revenue from property rates under the GRA’s management has made it unsustainable to continue this practice.
This decision signifies the assembly’s commitment to ensuring it has sufficient funds to carry out its vital projects and services for the local community. It also reflects their dissatisfaction with the GRA’s performance, which did not align with the initial agreement to increase revenue for the assembly.
Real Estate Chamber achieves new gains for local market: Egypt
The Real Estate Development Chamber at the Federation of Egyptian Industries, headed by Tarek Shoukry, has announced that it has secured new gains for the real estate market through continuous dialogue with the Ministry of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities.
These gains are meant to help real estate companies cope with the current challenges and boost their performance.
The Undersecretary of the housing committee at the House of Representatives and the Head of the Real Estate Investment Division at the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, revealed the details of these gains during the 7th Think Commercial roundtable entitled “Rise of Diversified Real Estate Market”.
He said that the Ministry of Housing has agreed to cancel overseas service fees for serviced residences and educational properties, and reduce them for commercial and administrative activities.
Source ; Joyceln Marigold & Doana Okyerebea -PE News