The Registrar of the Architects Registration Council(ARC), Stella N.D Arthiabah, has called on government and stakeholders in the building industry including private individuals to engage the services of local contractors and consultants in a bid to develop the local construction industry.
Mrs. Arthiabah brought to attention the influx of foreign consultants, contractors and laborers in the local industry who were executing projects undercover without satisfying the legal and regulatory requirements and called on government and stakeholders to take stringent measures to curb this form of ‘galamsey’ in the construction industry.
She observed that for the country to succeed in leveraging the private sector for growth, deliberate interventions must be made by government and stakeholders to develop the local construction industry, stressing that the industry reflects the nation’s overall maturity and is the fuel that runs the engine for growth.
Mrs. Arthiabah made the call on Tuesday in Accra, during the 17th Induction Ceremony of the Architect Registration Council where 42 newly qualified Architects were inducted onto the Standing Register of the Architects Registration Council (ARC) of Ghana.
An important national assignment of the ARC, the Induction Ceremony bridges the academic and professional life of every architect. It climaxes six years of academic qualification at the university, a minimum of two years of post-qualification coaching and apprenticeship under a qualified senior architect, structured seminars and tutorials and finally professional examination, with a minimum of 60% pass mark to gain state licensing.
Theophilus Kofi Attipoe was adjudged the Overall Best Candidate with Jonathan Ebo Quaye and Gloria Baaba Anim occupying the second and third positions respectively.
Mrs. Arthiabah expressed hope that the local content policy underway by the National Investment Promotion Council will contribute to curbing the ‘galamsey’ in the industry and retain appropriate percentages of jobs for local contractors and assured the Council will not only follow the policy with keen interest but make relevant inputs to make the policy holistic and achievable.
The Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Eugene Boakye Antwi who represented the Sector Minister, Mr. Samuel Atta Akyea, as special guest, indicated that though Ghana marks 60 years as a nation the country is still faced with a huge housing deficit of 1.7 million as most housing units are not within the reach of ordinary Ghanaians. He therefore charged the new Architects to produce housing designs that reflect affordable housing concept using local building materials and a sustainable design that is energy efficient with rainwater harvesting facilities to ensure constant supply of water for both domestic and industrial purposes.
President of the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA), Arc. Joseph E. Hayford congratulated the new Architects and asked them to inculcate a habit of truth and excellence in the course of their work as he observed that those two virtues were lacking in the modern day practice.
<<Print>>