Koforidua, Aug. 28, GNA - A two-day workshop on development of an action plan for the utilization of local materials in the construction industry opened in Koforidua on Friday.

About 80 participants are attending the workshop to come up with a policy that would help create jobs and put money into the pockets of many Ghanaians.

Dr Omane Boamah, Deputy Minister of Environment Science and Technology, observed that the policy was aimed at solving the housing deficit in the country.

Dr Eugene Atiemo, Director of the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI), presented a draft action plan on the short, medium and long term strategies of the policy.

Under the short term, he said the policy objective was to increase utilization of local building materials in the construction industry.

Dr Atiemo said the strategy was to set up a National Local Resources Development and Training Centre at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and BRRI to survey and collate existing local material production units in Ghana.

It would also document cost-effective improved technologies for the production of durable bricks and tiles, compressed earth blocks and pozzolanas.

On the medium term, Dr Atiemo said the strategy was to provide favourable financial assistance to prospective investors, increase capacity and improve the quality of local production units.

He said it would increase capacity and improve the quality of artisans in bricklaying and also increase and improve capacity of artisans.

Dr Atiemo said the long term strategy sought to provide enabling environment to increase usage of local materials to constitute about 60 percent in the building industry among others things.