Kumasi, Oct. 6, GNA - Government will promote greater private sector participation in housing delivery in addressing the huge housing deficit, Mr Alban Bagbin, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, has said.

Ghana's housing deficit currently is estimated at about one million, a development attributed to the lack of comprehensive housing policy, particularly urban housing, in the national development agenda by successive governments.

Mr Bagbin said government was convinced that for housing and housing infrastructure development to be carried out more effectively and efficiently, "it is prudent to provide the enabling environment for the private sector to take advantage of in housing construction". Addressing the College of Architecture and Planning Students' Society at the launch of its Fifth Annual Week Celebration in Kumasi, Mr Bagbin said his Ministry had planned therefore to deal extensively with bottlenecks that hindered the efforts of the private sector in housing construction.

These include access to land with good title, construction and mortgage finance as well as quality building materials. The theme for the celebration is: "Housing as a tool for sustainable development within the purview of our profession". The Society comprises student Architects, Land Economists, Building Technologists and Real Estate Managers.

The Minister announced that the new Housing Policy was ready and that it was awaiting a validation act, saying the policy aimed at making housing programmes more accessible to the poor to help to improve the environment of human settlements.

In addition, it is also designed to upgrade and transform existing housing stock with the view to raising the quality of life through the provision of good drinking water, sanitation and other basic services. Mr Bagbin advised the students to exhibit great diligence in their chosen course of study to enhance their career development. Mr Kamuzu Felix Agyemang Sebeh, President of the Society, appealed to government to engage members of the Society in its housing programmes to help to develop their knowledge and expertise.