Samuel Asante, General Manager, Operations at the Tema Development Company Limited (TDC) has revealed that the activities of encroachers who have invaded TDC development sites was impeding its operations and construction of more housing units.
Mr Asante cited the Ocean Park Development site at Community Five, where the encroachers were making it difficult for construction work to begin with pockets of resistance against 48 Engineers Regiment who were tasked to demarcate the site and start the fence wall.
The TDC General Manager in Charge of Operations stated during a working visit by Mr Joseph Cudjoe, the Minister of Public Enterprises, to TDC and inspection of some major housing projects it is undertaking in some communities within the Tema enclave.
Mr Asante therefore appealed to appropriate stakeholders to help convince the encroachers that there was the need for TDC to provide housing for Ghanaians “and so while they are here temporarily, the time has come for them to be relocated”.
He said TDC intended to construct 18 Four-Story Buildings, made up of two bed room apartments at Ocean Park, which they would put on the market, and use part to relocate some households from other sites.
He said TDC was facing a similar challenge of encroachment at the Kaizer Face One project. “We have been able to bring down some of the houses but others are standing because the occupants had some leasing agreement with TDC.
“We are convincing them to move to the Kpone Affordable Housing Units, but they say it’s too far; we’ve offered adequate monetary compensation based on proper evaluation, yet some are refusing to go”.
Mr. Asante said dialogue was ongoing but if it failed the company may have no choice than to resort to a legal redress of the matter; “Because the area has been declared a disaster zone, the buildings are worn out, the iron rods are sticking out and they are not supposed to be living in them”.
Mr. Cudjoe, Minister of Public Enterprises, lauded the tremendous role TDC was playing to promote Ghana’s economy through housing development to reduce the housing deficit.
He said TDC would not only be able to increase the housing stock and bring in needed revenue to the country, but would also help solve the unemployment situation in Ghana by creating many jobs with the development of their numerous housing projects.
Mr. Cudjoe said, “What we see is an opportunity to grow TDC to generate jobs, we talk about unemployment but here we have a state-owned enterprise with capacity to expand, capacity to do more if the financial and technical constrains are solved”.
The Minister indicated that market for affordable housing units existed in Ghana, but the challenge was how to get the needed funding in such a way that TDC could produce the houses at affordable prices for buyers.
As part of the visit, the minister and his entourage visited the Kpone Affordable Housing site, the NHMF Estates at Community 22, the Kaizer Flats, Community Four, the TDC flats at Community Three, and the Ocean Park.