Ghana needs to exploit well-planned infrastructure investment opportunities -Construction Chamber
Globally, in the 21st century, infrastructure has been identified as the lifeblood of prosperity and economic confidence. A well-planned infrastructure investment offers and develops a buoyant economy which Ghana must seize the opportunity to compete in the global market space.
That the growth and development of any economy is directly or indirectly connected with the construction industry cannot be over emphasised. Accordingly, it has been postulated that the economic development cannot be achieved on the back of a fragile and ill-equipped construction industry.
Even at its current unregulated state, the construction industry in Ghana contributed between 5.7 per cent - 13.7 per cent to the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 2006 -2016 respectively.
Indeed, after the year 2010 the construction subsector has contributed the largest share of industry GDP, while for instance the share of the mining and quarrying subsector has been on the decline during the same period.
Suffice it to say that the poor contribution of the subsector, as indicated in the 2019–2020 budget statement, gives cause to worry. We trust that the industry will bounce back.
However, undoubtedly government policies and interventions have great impact on the construction industry activities, be it good or bad. Hence, the absence of right policies to promote the development of businesses can significantly impact negatively on the livelihoods of the players of the respective construction businesses as well as beneficiaries of the sector.
It is worrying that in many instances, governments put in place policy initiatives for the business community but this is done with little or no consultation with the construction industry players. This invariably leads to the development and/or implementation of skewed policies which many a time do not result in any tangible benefits to the construction business community.
Private sector involvement
The Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund set up to strengthen the advocacy capacity of private sector business groups and associations in Ghana, with support from DANIDA, USAID and DFID, advocates that the private sector players must lead the agenda to modernise and regularise the construction industry by providing the needed structures and frameworks that will propel development.
Such a move is expected to also clean the industry of all unqualified stakeholders; contractors, surveyors, engineers, architects and other service providers in the built environment with the implementation of the right policies.
Furthermore, the formation of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GhCCI) as a pan-industry body for the Built Environment Professional Institutions, Business and Artisanal Associations is hinged on this realisation.
The Chamber has a membership composition of 14 constituents namely:
1. Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE).
2. Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS);
3. Association of Road Contractors (ASROC);
4. Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors of Ghana (ABCECG);
5. Ghana Institute of Planners (GIP);
6. Progressive Road Contractors Association (PROCA);
7. Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB), Ghana Hub;
8. Ghana Electrical Contractors Association (GECA);
9. Artisans Association of Ghana (AAG);
10. Ghana Electronic Security and Safety Association (GESSA);
11. Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA);
12. Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA);
13. Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana (IETG);
14. Interior Designers & Decorators Ghana (IDDG)
Clearly the effectiveness of the Chamber will require the adoption or establishment of a unique multi-sectorial dialogue platform among other interventions that will bring together key players (policy makers, business community, research institutions/academia, CSOs and the media) to constantly deliberate on finding avenues and innovative strategies to resolve various challenges faced by the players within the construction industry in order to:
1. Provide a single voice in making representations to government and other industry regulators.
2. Streamline and modernise the best practices, activities and operations in the Built Environment.
3. Championing and advocating the best interests and practices of the Construction Industry players.
4. Maintenance culture of excellence within the Ghanaian Construction Industry.
5. To lead the establishment of the Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA) in order to regulate the Construction industry activities/operations.
6. To demand value for money in construction of various infrastructure projects in the country.
7. To increase competitiveness and profitability of the players in the Construction Industry.
8. To boost economic development across the nation by means of job and wealth creation
Public Private Dialogue platform
It is based on the above cherished desire that the Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) platform was birthed with funding support from the BUSAC Fund and its donor partners.
The initiative of the PPD is to serve as an institutional mechanism for collaborative development that will not only help deal with economic reform management, but also serve as a troubleshooting mechanism, by making sure all the energies are properly directed towards development and economic growth, reconstruction, peace building and inclusion for the construction sector.
The establishment of this PPD will serve the interest of both the public and private sector actors within the construction industry in Ghana.
To the public sector, the PPD will serve as a platform that will be the go-to institution for desired consolidated input into government policies. It will also serve as feedback framework to solicit impact of government policies on the private sector so as to enable the government to better address the needs of the players within the construction industry.
Objectives of the PPD platform
The objectives of the PPD platform are to effectively engage the duty bearers in resolving myriad of challenges hindering the competitiveness and profitability of the construction industry in Ghana and in particular also to:
1. Speed up sector reforms to enhance the business environment for greater productivity,
2. Foster a structured, participatory and inclusive approach to policymaking,
3. Improve the flow of information relating to economic policy to enhance accountability and build legitimacy into the policy-making process,
4. Present a singular forum for discussion, collaboration and networking among sector stakeholders,
5. Highlight the importance of good institutional and regulatory governance in improving the business climate,
6. Highlight how the quality of relations between the state and the business sector could help decision-making and minimise unintended consequences, and
7. Bridge the theory-practice or the industry-academia gap on particularly construction industry matters
Conclusion
The quest for development of our country cannot be achieved if we are short-sighted or focused on short-term strategies. We are surrounded by abundant opportunities that we can take advantage of to realise our dreams. The only real limit on what we can do are the limits we place on ourselves and our own thinking.
The construction sector as it were needs the proper orientation or positioning. We believe the concept of PPD will provide the required synergies for moving the industry forward. A collective determination and a collaborative effort will lead to achieving our goals.
We trust all the players will demonstrate commitment and the good will towards making the PPD a success. Once the construction industry takes its proper place in the national developmental paradigm, we are confident the benefits will flow to the citizenry across the country.
The writer is a surveyor and the Chairman of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GhCCI)
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