Francis Manu-Adabo, the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lands and Forestry, has advised the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has emphasised the need for government to invest in geospatial data.

Geospatial data is information that describes objects, events, or other features with a location on or near the surface of the earth.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 1st Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Ghana Geospatial Society in Accra on Tuesday, 28 November, Manu-Adabo said investing in geospatial can contribute significantly to socio-economic development.

“State Housing Cooperation advertises their houses. Why don’t they display the houses at various locations through geospatial technology? It is not difficult; it is in the interest.

“One of the main reasons Ghana should invest in geospatial data is that there are so many houses in the country that we don’t even know their locations to impose taxes. Many houses exist, but if you fly the entire country to gather geospatial data…”

“No matter where your house is hidden, it will be revealed. This way, the district assemblies can go to all those places to mobilize taxes to build the country. Therefore, geospatial data is crucial for the work of GRA,” Manu-Adabo said.

About the Ghana Geospatial Society

The GGS comprises seven working groups, namely Geo-Social Sciences, Geo-Health and Science, Statistics, Geo-Environmental Natural Resources, Geo-Surveying, Geospatial Utilities and Engineering, Geospatial Security, and Geospatial Information Technology.

It also consists of four Executive Committee members and seven Planning and Sponsorship Committee members.

Some of its roles include disseminating information on advancements in the profession and establishing a platform for collaboration through seminars.

Geospatial refers to location-based information, and any technology that may be used to access such information is a geospatial technology, including the widely utilized Global Navigation Satellite Systems and remote sensing.