The 11th edition of the International Building Construction & Property Exhibition was launched yesterday in Accra with a call on contractors to stop using substandard foreign materials in the construction of buildings.

Marilyn Efua Houadjeto, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Image Consortium, organizers of the exhibition, which is slated for September, this year, also requested for legislation for building professionals to ensure the supervision of all construction projects.

The three-day event, under the auspices of the Works & Housing Ministry, would create a platform for players in the industry to dialogue with policy-makers and also deliberate on the adoption of innovations in the industry.

She said this year’s exhibition would offer companies the opportunity to advertise their products on a designated website at no cost until the end of the event. Vincent Oppong Asamoah, Deputy Works & Housing Minister, also remarked that the construction industry has the potential to reduce poverty.

He appealed to practitioners to conduct their activities professionally. Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Building, Rockson Dogbegah, in a remark, stressed the need to create systems to promote actors in the construction sector.

He also asked practitioners to upgrade themselves through training programmes and noted that regular maintenance plans should be considered in construction. This year’s event, slated from 26-29 September, is under the theme: “Building the Right Infrastructure and Inter-Agency Partnership in Ghana.”