The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has participated in the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI’s) Construction Industry Development Forum to highlight the need for the use of the Building Code.
The seminar, which assembled chieftains of the industry included architects, engineers, development planners, constructors, construction managers and lecturer, mainly centered on the Ghana Building Code (GS 1207: 2018) launched by the Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia last October.
Mr. Emmanuel Obeng, a Civil Engineer and Scientific Officer of the GSA, gave a presentation on the Ghana Building Code– a set of rules that specify the standards for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures.
Mr. Obeng urged participants to use the Code, modify it and get the best out of it.
The President of the Chartered Institute of Building, Mr. Peter David Quartey said the failure to enforce the Code would put Ghana at a competitive disadvantage, calling for the education of stakeholders on the Code, updating the skills of enforcers as well as maintaining trained and qualified staff to ensure that minimum requirements of the regulations are met.
Mr. John Tettey, a representative of the Ministry of Works and Housing, stressed the need for Ghanaians to start doing things in conformity with international standards.
“This Code is will bring sanity in the building and construction industry and so, we encourage all professionals to use it as their basics in their projects,” he noted.
The Code was modified from existing International Building Codes and lays down the essential requirements for building and structural conformity.
It was developed by the GSA, for and on behalf of the Ministry of Works and Housing, with the support of the Swiss Government, through the Ghana Office of the International Finance Corporation/World Bank Group (IFC/WBG).
The GSA, through the sponsorship of Muszer Automatika Ghana Limited, a company operating in the building and construction sector, has begun the distribution of the Building Code to MMDAs across the country.
The AGI is a voluntary business association of over 1200 members and is the leading voice of manufacturing industries in the country.
Among other things, it is dedicated to advocating policies that advance the growth and development of industries; and presents industry’s position papers on specific policies to government and stakeholders.
