Francis Asenso-Boakye, Ghana's Minister of Works and Housing, has highlighted the nation's achievements in its attempts to use the urbanisation process for the nation's sustainable development.
The sector minister said that Ghana is one of the nations that has so far demonstrated a strong commitment to implementing the New Urban Agenda of the United Nations by submitting its progress of implementation as required by the Quito Agreement.
The sector minister described the progress Ghana has made in developing various national regulatory frameworks to direct cities and human settlements toward the realisation of a sustainable urban future during his remarks during the Ministerial Roundtable at the World Urban Forum (WUF 11) in Katowice, Poland.
This is effectively incorporated into the nation's national policy development, planning, budgeting, and monitoring processes, Mr. Asenso-Boakye observed.
The sector minister stated that the government has effectively strengthened its regional and decentralisation systems during the time while keeping a designated Common Fund to support Local Governments in order to empower local and sub-national authorities toward a sustainable urbanisation push.
The Works and Housing Minister said, "Ghana has started a District Housing Scheme that tries to provide funds for rental housing, at the district level, using our national budget."
Mr. Asenso-Boakye noted that Ghana has effectively adopted strong, strategic programmes in the construction and housing, water and sanitation, and transportation sectors of the economy to harness the role of finance in urban and housing development.
Mr. Asenso-Boakye expressed optimism that the chances that come with the drive might be used to hasten the fulfilment of the nation's collective aims and ambitions despite the inherent difficulties associated with sustainable future urbanisation.
The New Urban Agenda is a blueprint for creating cities that can function as engines of prosperity and hubs of cultural and social well-being while protecting the environment. It was adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador.
The Agenda also offers recommendations for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals and lays out a timeline for tackling climate change.