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The Ministry of Works and Housing is collaborating with the Ministry of Communications and Digitisation to digitize the operations of the Rent Control Department, as part of efforts to enhance service delivery standards of the Department.

Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, the Minister of Works and Housing, said as result, a Technical Team, comprising the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) and the Ghana India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, had presented a technical report which had recommended the design and architecture of systems to achieve full digitization of the Rent Control Department.

“This exercise will commence at the national level and later will be linked to the regional and district offices,” Mr Asenso-Boakye, stated on Wednesday on the floor of Parliament in his response to a question from Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Keta.

The MP wanted to know from the Minister the measures the Ministry was taking to strengthen the Rent Control Department to perform its lawful duties.

Mr Asenso-Boakye mentioned some of the measures the Ministry had initiated to strengthen the Rent Control Department to perform its lawful duties such as the review of the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220) and the Rent Control Law, 1986 (PNDC Law 138).

He said the review of the Rent Act was necessary in the light of the shortcomings of the existing Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220) and the Rent Control Law (PNDC L 138), which do not significantly address current challenges in the rental housing industry.

He noted that the Ministry submitted a memorandum and received policy approval from Cabinet in February 2022 for the review of the existing Rent Acts.

“The Ministry is working with the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice on a draft Rent Bill. It will eventually be brought before this august House for consideration and approval, after an extensive stakeholder engagement,” the Minister said.

“Mr Speaker, the Bill if approved, will provide the framework for comprehensive restructuring of the Rent Control Depart to make it more effective and efficient.”

He said additionally, offices would be created in all regions and districts of the country.

Mr Gakpey again asked the Minister what efforts the Ministry was making to enforce the law on leasing Assets in accordance with the Rent Control Act.

To this, the Minister replied that under the Rent Act, 1963, (ACT 220) and the Rent Control Law, 1986 (PNDC L 138), the Rent Control Department had the mandate to perform assessment of Recoverable Rent on an application by a landlord, tenant or person interested in premises, preparation of Rent Registers and maintaining Register of Vacant Premises.

He said the Ministry was working through the Rent Control Department to enforce laws on leasing assets in accordance with the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220) and the Rent Control Law, 1986 (PNDC L 138).

“Mr Speaker, Section 25 of Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220) prohibits landlords from taking more than six months’ rent advance, and therefore any landlord who contravenes the law commits an offence and is punishable by the law.”

Mr Yusif Sulemana, MP, Bole Bamboi, also asked the Minister of Works and Housing, who the occupants of the UNDP Flats in Cantonments were and whether they paid rent to the Government.

Mr Asenso-Boakye, in a reply, noted that the current occupants of the UNDP Flats were squatters and therefore, they do not pay any rent whatsoever.

He said that there had been previous actions by the Ministry to give a facelift to the UNDP Flats by undertaking technical and financial appraisals of the flats; stating that measures were being taken to give a facelift to the UNDP Flats to serve the original purpose.

He said the Ministry in consultation with the relevant institutions was considering an eviction to get all the squatters out of the buildings.