Establish regulatory body for construction industry - Govt urged
The Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors of Ghana (ABCECG) has called on the government to accelerate the process of establishing a regulatory body for the construction industry.
Advertisement
It argued that properly regulating the industry would ensure that contractors met quality standards and delivered value for money.
“Currently, cases of poor quality of work on some projects have exposed the lack of commitment or low capacity of contractors necessitating the need to regulate and sanitise the industry,” Mr Martins Kwesi Nnuro, the President of the association, said.
The call, he said, was part of the association’s drive to weed out mediocrity and uphold the highest levels of professionalism in the industry.
AGM and exhibition
Mr Nnuro was speaking at the launch of the association’s 2016 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and its maiden exhibition aimed at facilitating partnerships and economic growth in the construction industry.
The AGM and exhibition, which would be on the theme, ‘Development through partnership with our stakeholders,” is to foster partnerships with relevant associations, government entities and other operators in the private sector for the development of the construction industry.
According to the association, the two-day event from today at the Accra International Trade Fair Centre is expected to identify existing gaps in its operations and make recommendations to ensure the growth of the industry.
The exhibition, dubbed “Expo 2016,” would serve as a platform for members of the association to establish contacts with organisations that supply civil products and services.
Additionally, it would provide suppliers the convenience of accessing different representatives of organisations who are their potential clients, under one roof.
It is expected to attract more than 500 contractors who are representatives of state agencies and the private sector to engage in an open forum and discussion sessions.
Strategic plan
Mr Nnuro said a bill to regulate the construction industry had been prepared and submitted to the Attorney-General’s Department for review and, subsequently, to Parliament, for passage into law.
He said there was the need to review all protocols governing the construction industry and also the need to identify existing gaps to help find lasting solutions to them.
After the AGM, he said, the association would launch its five-year strategic plan to spearhead the growth of the industry.
The Vice-President of the association, Mr Kwesi Boakye, was of the view that regulating the industry would reduce the proliferation of substandard contractors as all operators in the industry would be required to register with the appropriate body and the association.