Surveyors Gear Up For STX Project

Alban Bagbin, Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing The Ghana Institute of Surveyors is upbeat about the pronouncement from Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing Alban Bagbin that local contractors will be directly and indirectly involved in 90 percent of the project. The construction industry is expected to see a major uplift in terms of local participation and empowerment of local civil engineers to take part in Ghana’s infrastructural development. Government says it will ensure 30 percent local content composition in the construction of the 200,000 STX housing units throughout Ghana by 2015. Some have also cast doubts over the preparedness of the local engineers to participate effectively in the project but the President of the Ghana Institute of Surveyors, Ms Yvonne Sowah is confident about meeting the demand. “Initially there may be some challenges but I guess with time, our local capacity will be built and improved such that we will be able to meet up with demands in the future. That’s where the transfer of technology comes into play. They may bring in new things that are happening in Asia that we can learn from and develop and therefore build our capacity. “We have taken part in some of the deliberations and we have made our inputs, and we will be there monitoring and evaluating to ensure that the local content aspect of it are adhered to.”