The Town and Country Planning Office has decried the constant movement through different Ministries which has had a negative impact on its operations.
[contextly_sidebar id=”tDLvxXcSFzgL5y5PizWpxcaD3JJNJo4D”]Set up some 70 years ago, the Town and Country Planning office is mandated to plan and manage the growth and development of cities, town and villages in the country.
However, the department has not been able to fully deliver on its mandate over the years because the various governments tend to move the department from Ministry to Ministry.
So far, the Town and Country Planning Office has worked under 18 different Ministries.
According to a Senior Town and Country Planner, Mohammed Alhassan, such movements disturb focus as each Minister comes with a different focal point regarding the country’s planning.
“Any country in which you have the Ministry of Local Government, you also find the town planning function being put there because planning is a local government activity. But in instances where such a Ministry is unavailable like the Scandinavian countries where they have a strong environmental portfolio, then the planning office posted there,’’ he explained.
Currently, the Town and Country Planning is under the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology and though there are concerns for them to move to an appropriate Ministry Mr Alhassan says, “we do not have that power; politicians will continue to decide but if we have the opportunity to decide we will do so.’’
By: Lorrencia Nkrumah/citifmonline.com/Ghana