Accra, March 02, GNA – The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will soon surcharge occupiers and owners for not painting their buildings at “least once in two years.”
Section 181 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (ACT 936), requires that (a) a household or an owner or occupant of premises within the jurisdiction of the Assembly shall keep the house clean, white-washed and painted on regular basis at least once in two years.
Section (b) of the by-law says, “where the owner, occupier or landlord fails to comply with the above provision, the Assembly shall undertake the painting and charge the owner, occupier or landlord with the expense incurred in undertaking the painting.”
The Assembly said though there had been enough grace period after the promulgation of the by-law in 2017, it was still engaging in sensitisation to make people within the jurisdiction “see the law as a responsibility.”
Mr Gilbert Ankrah, Head of Public Affairs, AMA, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that “very soon” the Assembly would enforce the by-law in line with its beautification and operation clean your frontage agenda.
He said last year, the Assembly painted some houses in the James Town enclave at no cost to the owners and occupiers as part of the sensitisation.
Mr Ankrah said it also gave paints to some house owners and occupiers to beautify their houses.
“The move is to set example as implementors of the law and create a sense of responsibility for the people to follow suit.”
Mr Ankrah said the house cleaning, white-washing and painting and “Operation Clean Your Frontage,” were to help address public health issues.
The by-law also demands that the Assembly demolishes dilapidated or close to collapsed buildings after eight-days’ notice to the owner and charge the owner for the cost incurred.
A person “who contravenes this by-law commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine, not more than one hundred penalty units or a term of imprisonment of not less than thirty days and not more than six months or to both; and in case of a continuing offence, is liable to a fine of not more than one penalty unit for each day that the offence continues.”
Fifty per cent (50%) of the fine paid will be allotted to the Assembly.
The law was promulgated in place of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly Maintenance of Premises By-law, 1995, which was revoked.
Madam Joyce Naa Lamiokor, a dealer in fabrics, said she had no knowledge of the by-law, but she painted her house every year as a maintenance culture.
Mr Bernard Tetteh-Adjei, a landlord, said he knew of the by-law, but his tenants were unable to contribute towards the painting of his four-bedroom apartment due to COVID-19.
He said they were ready to paint the house themselves and appealed to the Assembly to support them with some buckets of paint.
GNA