The Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Kwaku Agyeman Mensah has called on architects to reduce their charges to enable Ghanaians use their services.
The sector minister, Kwaku Agyeman Mensah said he “will be the first to admit that these disasters [collapsed buildings] may have occurred because the builder failed to use an architect. Nevertheless, it raises fundamental issues about architectural practice in the country. It is a fact that most builders tend to shy away from asking architects to design and supervise their buildings.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”PfRnQ2Hh3LbQUHmGxFDzuYz8k6yE9Dqp”]“Are your fees too high and beyond the reach of ordinary Ghanaians?” he asked.
He implored the architects to make their services accessible to Ghanaians by reducing their charges and employing improved marketing techniques.
The Minister was speaking at the 15th Induction Ceremony of the Architects Registration Council of Ghana.
Speaking at the ceremony which took place at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Professor H.N.A Wellington, chairperson for the occasion, charged the 51 inductees to be culturally sensitive, African and philosophical in their designs. According to him the new building designs look like “glass boxes”.
He further expressed his optimism in the new architects by stating “they are the people he believes will address his concerns.”
On his part the Chairman of the Architects Registration Council, Architect Henry Yartey, commended the increase in female and advised the group to shun the get rich quick attitude which he says leads to corruption.
In an interview with Citi News he said “architects of the collapsed buildings with the necessary permits should be held liable”, however the onus lies on the AMA to initiate the process.
He commended the Mayor of Accra for clearing of slums in the city and pledged the support of the Architects Registration Council.
The Architects Registration Council is a regulator of world class standards for professionalism in architectural practices in Ghana.
The Council and the Ghana Institute of Architects are the two main professional bodies of architects in the country.
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By: Kwame Botchway/citifmonline.com/Ghana