Government to Introduce Permit Process System for Construction

By Chantal Aidoo

The government has automated the processing and issuance of construction and building permits.

Known as the Permit Process System (PPS) it is expected to create an enabling environment as well as reduce the time and cost of doing business in Ghana.

A Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Kwesi Boateng Adjei who announced this at a day's training for stakeholders in the industry, on the use of the software, envisaged that all metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana will benefit from the use of the PPS.

Mr. Adjei said that it was important for stakeholders -- planners, surveyors, architects, real Estates Developers, Industry Players, and the private sector -- to be trained on the functions of the construction permit software.

The project, which began with the support for the International Development (DFID) through the implementation of the Business Enabling Environment Project (BEEP) in 2015, was aimed at accelerating service delivery at the local level with regard to the issuance of building construction permit at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) as well as reduce the time and cost of doing business in Ghana.

Mr. Adjei explained that part of the funds for the reform had been allocated to the acquisition of construction permit software and hardware for Accra and Tema Metropolitan Assemblies as well as the development and the installation of the construction permit software for the AMA.

With the introduction of the software, there will more transparency and visibility on the acquisition of building permits, reduce the cost to both the developer and the MMDAs since physical activities such as submission of forms, payments, and inspection will be reduced.

In addition, there will be an electronic database of all building and construction permit records, architectural and structural drawings stored with the application on the PPS.

A Representative of DFID Ghana, Ms. Benyiwa Bonney, noted that the project aims at reducing the stress people go through in accessing building and construction permits.

She disclosed that the Governments of Ghana and the United Kingdom were also collaborating to introduce online taxes filing to Ghana business friendly.

Ms. Bonney noted that data would be embedded in the software to enable people to print their business permits from wherever they found themselves without having to go to the offices of the MMDAs.

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