Ghana Government Disburses Over GHS13 Million in Rent Assistance to Workers

Accra: The Minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Francis Asenso-Boakye, announced that the Ghanaian government has disbursed GHS13.78 million to 1,105 workers across six regions as part of the National Rental Assistance Scheme (NRAS). This statement was made during a session in Parliament on Tuesday.

According to Ghana News Agency, the beneficiaries of this scheme are from the Greater Accra, Eastern, Western, Ashanti, Northern, and Bono East regions. The NRAS, an initiative of the government, was established in response to the high demand for affordable rental housing in Ghana. The minister’s remarks came while answering a question posed by Mr. Andrew Dari Chiwitey, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Sawla/Tuna/Kalba, who inquired about the number of beneficiaries of the scheme and the total funds allocated to them.

Mr. Chiwitey also asked about the cost of launching the rent assistance scheme. In his response, Mr. Asenso-Boakye, who is also a New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Bantama, explained that the NRAS, launched in January 2023, targets both formal and informal sector individuals with regular incomes. He highlighted that the scheme eases the burden of large rent advance payments by allowing beneficiaries to pay their rent monthly to the scheme instead.

The Works and Housing Minister detailed to the Parliament the operational framework of the NRAS. He mentioned that the Ministry had formed a working team to spearhead the design and implementation modalities, engaged in wide stakeholder consultations, and developed materials for sensitizing the public about the scheme. The total expenditure for these pre-implementation activities and the official launch of the NRAS was around GHS900,000.

Addressing another question regarding the legal backing of the scheme, Mr. Asenso-Boakye acknowledged that while the NRAS doesn’t have specific legal backing, it operates as a government policy.

Furthermore, in response to an inquiry by Mr. Alhassan Suhuyini, an NDC MP for Tamale North, about the government’s amendments and payments to Construction OAS Ghana Limited for the Saglemi Housing Project, the minister requested a deferral in answering. He cited an ongoing legal case in court related to the matter and indicated his willingness to provide a comprehensive response once the court reaches a verdict.

Mr. Asenso-Boakye concluded by stating that he had consulted with legal advisors who recommended refraining from commenting on the ongoing case until a judicial determination is made.