By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Tema, Nov. 11, GNA – Mr Simon Sawer Tetteh, Managing Director of Sawer-Nanor and Sons Company Limited, has called on the Government to channel a significant portion of its proposed GH¢500 million housing-sector support package into infrastructure development in private real estate enclaves to help reduce the cost of housing.
Mr Tetteh, who is also a real estate developer, commended the Government for the initiative, which seeks to increase the country’s housing stock and expand access to affordable homeownership.
President John Dramani Mahama recently announced the national housing initiative, which he said would be formally presented to Parliament by Dr Cassiel Ato Forson during the presentation of the 2027 Budget Statement.
Reacting to the announcement in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Tetteh said the high cost of providing essential infrastructure, including roads, electricity and water, placed a significant financial burden on developers and contributed to the high cost of completed houses.
He said government investment in infrastructure within and around private housing developments would reduce the initial capital burden on developers and create opportunities to offer houses at more affordable prices.
According to him, developers often had to bear the cost of constructing access roads and extending electricity and water services before housing units could be made available to prospective buyers.
Mr Tetteh said if some of these services were extended closer to development sites through public investment, developers would be able to reduce production costs significantly.
He noted that improved road networks would also lower transportation, vehicle maintenance and fuel costs for businesses, enabling them to manage their operational expenses more efficiently.
Mr Tetteh said the relative stability of the exchange rate in 2026 had helped businesses in the construction sector to plan more effectively, noting that there had been no major fluctuations in the prices of iron rods and other key construction materials, compared with previous years.
He explained that predictable input costs were important to construction companies because they enhanced accurate project costing and improved investment planning.
Mr Tetteh urged the Government to collaborate closely with private developers to address infrastructure challenges associated with housing development, saying such interventions could contribute significantly to reducing the cost of housing for the public.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo
[email protected]