The Ghana Institute of Planners (GIP), the umbrella body for Planning professionals in the country has pledged to establish nine Zonal Chapters to ensure that the administration of the Institute becomes efficient.

This arrangement is also expected to ensure effective supervision of professional standards of Planner in the country.

The president of the Ghana Institute of Planners, Pln. Mohammed Alhassan says the establishment of the zonal chapters is in accordance with the Constitution of the Institute and needs to be implemented as soon as possible.

The zones are (Ashanti Region and parts of Western North), Zone(4) Sunyani(Bono and Ahafo), Zone, (5) Techiman, Bono East and parts of Ashanti, Zone(6) Tamale including Upper East, North East and Savannah, Zone(7) Koforidua, Zone (8) Ho, Volta and Oti Regions, Zone (9) Wa, Upper East and parts of Savannah.

The President made this disclosure in a video telecasted on Youtube to members of the Institute as part of the observance of the social distancing protocols announced by the president of the Republic to aid in the fight against the deadly COVID 19 pandemic.

The video presentation was on the theme’ The State of Ghana Institute of Planners and Programme of Action 2020.

The president maintained that the existing sixteen regional associations of the Institute have been inactive leading to all activities being concentrated at the headquarters in Accra.

It is in view of these that the regional associations have been reorganized into Nine zonal chapters.

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The president said with these arrangements members in a particular region could decide which zone to belong to depending on their geographical accessibility to ensure efficient management of the institute’s activities.

The zonal chapters will comprise of interim executives made up of a Chairperson, Secretary and an Organizer he added.

According to him, Planners who have not yet been certified by the Institute will be allowed to join the chapters as observers pending their final certification.

He explained that as of the end of the First Quarter of 2020, there were about seven Hundred and One members on the register of the Institute, with only Four Hundred and Fifty being active members on the register.

He noted that the National Executive Committee(NEC) has decided to plan all its activities around the active members as steps are taken to rope in the inactive members of the Institute.