Ghana’s Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia today October 31, 2018, launched the first-ever comprehensive Ghana Building Code, (Ghana Standards GS1207: 2018).
According to Dr Bawumia, the new Ghana Building Code will bring an end to the situation where the cost of public building projects is inflated by contractors.
The Vice President also added that the building code when fully implemented will protect the citizenry against accidents caused by the poor construction of infrastructure in the country.
The Building Code determines the standards required for all construction works.
Speaking at the launch of the Building Code, Dr. Bawumia said the code will also help, check such abuses in the construction sector.
“Once the specifications of buildings are in accordance with the standards specified in the Ghana Building Code and the construction materials utilized are specified, it should be possible to have fairly accurate costs for all types of construction in the country.”
“This is definitely expected to help us achieve value for money. Sometimes there are buildings of the same kind but with different costs. But if the codes are specified, then we know that we can get to the costing very easily”, he stressed.
The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), developed the Building Code together with stakeholders within the sector.
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Ghana’s Building Code (GhBC) GS 1207:2018 is modified from an existing International Building Code and lays down the essential requirements for building and structural conformity.
The Building Code, It’s expected to ensure uniformity in the construction industry by providing building professionals, developers, and investors with common standards for public health, safety, fire protection, structural efficiency, and environmental integrity.
The Minister for Works and Housing, Atta Akyea, said with the coming into force of the Building Code, the country “will see a major paradigm shift in the built environment because of the fact that we want to introduce sanity into the system.”
