The Ministry of Works and Housing is to collaborate with Health and Education ministries to encourage the use of indigenous local materials such as burnt clay bricks and tiles.
The initiative seeks to ensure judicious and economic use of scarce resources and reduce costs in the building and construction industry.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso Boakye, disclosed this when he toured a brick and tile manufacturing factory at Mfensi near Kumasi, as part of a three-day working tour of the Ashanti region.
For many years, the government of Ghana has tried to find suitable ways of solving the housing problem of the country through various means.
One of such means is trying to encourage the use of indigenous local materials such as burnt clay bricks and tiles.
The Minister of Works and Housing Francis Asenso Boakye’s toured the Mfensi bricks and tile industry and an affordable housing project at Dedesua.
The team also inspected some ongoing drainage construction works at Bantama constituency.
The tour also took the Minister to Nsuta and Kwaman in the Sekyere Central District.
Some of the erosions have developed into semi steams that if not checked could destroyed some buildings closed to the drainage.
The Minister stressed the need for Ghanaians to embrace the locally manufactured burnt bricks for construction which has huge economic benefits.
He said government would assist the local bricks and tile factories to venture into large scale production.
Mr. Asenso Boakye said the Asantehene has donated a large plot of land to be developed into affordable housing project and promised that the project would use only locally manufactured bricks to encourage local production and patronage.
The minister also toured the Pollazana cement manufacturing factory at the Building and Roads Research Institute of the CSIR at Fumesua.
The factory is producing cheaper and environmentally friendly cement to help reduce cost of building.
An official at the BRRI, Dr. Mike Bediako asked government to assist the factory to secure investors.
He also inspected the Kumasi Zoo drainage project and assured all agencies under his ministry that they will be assisted to pull down all the 400 buildings cited on waterways in KUMASI alone.
He also appealed to Ghanaians to be responsible in the disposal of waste.
The Sekyere Central District Chief Executive Kwadwo Banahene appealed to the public to consider bringing back communal labor to help keep their communities clean instead of relying solely on government.
Mr. Asenso Boakye later paid courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfour Osei Tutu.
