Something Is Not Right Somewhere With STX Deal - Kwesi Pratt

Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., believes there is something fundamentally wrong with the STX Housing deal. The construction of some 30,000 Housing Units by the Korean construction and engineering group, STX, which was expected to begin early this year, seems to be in a limbo as government has not been able to secure the US$1.5 billion needed to kick start the project. The entire project which is valued at ten billion dollars ($10bn) involves the construction of 200,000 homes; 30 thousand of which will accommodate personnel of the security forces whilst the remaining would be put up on the market for Ghanaians to acquire through a mortgage facility spread over 15 years. Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Alban Sumana Kinsford Bagbin, had forecasted that �physical houses will be seen sprawling at the various sites by July�, but concerns have been raised that not even a single block has been laid on the site for the STX Housing Project to take off, whiles the July deadline has also elapsed. Speaking on Metro TV�s Good Morning Ghana programme, the seasoned journalist openly expressed fears that he suspects something wrong with the deal, and therefore called on the government to boldly come out and tell Ghanaians the truth behind the delay in implementing the project. ��I have a strong suspicion that something has gone wrong with the STX deal. Clearly there is some problem with the deal and I think it is important that the government gives us facts of what is happening to the project. They gave us July but at the end of July nothing has come out. There are still indications that all is not well and I think it is important to come out with a true statement of what is going on. If the government comes out and tells us the truth, I think Ghanaians will understand�,� he said.