The Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea has assured members of the Ghana Institute of Architects that government is committed to constituting a board for the Architectural Registration Council (ARC).
According to him, processes are already underway to constitute the board.
The Ghana Institute of Architects on Monday said there has not been a board in place since 2017 and threatened a legal action against the government if the board is not constituted by the end of July 2019.
But according to the Housing Minister, discussions will be completed and final approval for the board will be given when President Nana Akufo-Addo returns from his one-week leave next week.
“We’ve met them already and the President himself has met them. It is not the multiplication of meetings that is going to resolve the issue but the action of delivering to them their call. We are going to do that. It doesn’t give the president any mileage by delaying it so we will do it. We should not be too much in a hurry but we will be able to beat the deadline. It is just a signature away. The president will be able to sign and get them what they need,” Atta Akyea said.
Ghana Institute of Architects argued that the non-existence of a functioning board for the Architectural Registration Council is affecting their activities.
“Steps must be taken by the Government to ensure that the ARC Board is put in place immediately. This will avert the reoccurrence of such avoidable infractions in the process leading to the appointment of Consultants. We serve notice that we will proceed to resort to legal action should government not have the ARC Board set up by the end of July 2019,” the Institute said in its statement.
The Architectural Registration Council is mandated by the constitution to coordinate architectural activities in the country with reference to the Architects Act, NCLD 357 of 1969.