The Ministry of Works and Hous­ing is exploring partnerships with its counterpart from South Africa to provide affordable and sustain­able human settlement systems to enhance national development.

According to the Minster of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, the collaboration was one of the key strategies being pursued by the government to en­hance Ghana’s affordable housing plans and community develop­ment.

As a country known for massive investments in social housing proj­ects, he said, South Africa was an ideal partner for Ghana to tap its rich experiences and knowledge in the area of affordable housing and institutional development.

He was speaking in Accra yesterday when the South African Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi, led a delega­tion to call on him.

The team, which includes both public and private stakeholders in the housing sector, are in the coun­try for a five-day visit to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

The meeting resulted in the signing of a “Letter of Intent” by both countries to work together in developing a Memorandum of Un­derstanding (MOU) to guide areas of partnerships and cooperation, especially in the housing sector.

Alberta Siaw Kwarko, Director of General Administration, Minis­try of Works and Housing, signed on behalf of Ghana, while Ngaka Dumalisile, acting Director-Gener­al of Ministry of Human Settle­ments, signed for South Africa.

One of the key priorities for the partnership, Mr Asenso-Boakye noted, was the upgrading of slums and the improvement in informal settlements as well as the lives of those who inhabit them.

Also, he said, the partnership would help in exploring housing fi­nance and subsidies for affordable housing, both on the demand and supply sides of the housing mar­ket, adding that this was crucial to ensure that housing was accessible to the citizenry regardless of their economic circumstances.

“Our joint efforts in this area can have a profound impact on the well-being and living conditions of a significant portion of our popu­lations,” he noted.

The partnership with South Africa, would form the basis for exploring collaborations, particu­larly in enhancing the institutional framework for the delivery of af­fordable housing in both countries.

“This partnership showcases our dedication to finding compre­hensive solutions to housing and human settlement challenges. The partnership helps to elevate the discussions and collaborations to a higher level, with the primary aim of achieving our common goals,” he said.

On her part, Ms Kubayi com­mended Ghana for leading the fight for continental development, particularly its commitment to pro­moting good  relations with South Africa.

 She said South Africa believed in the creation of partnerships among countries in Africa towards addressing challenges impeding development and enabling the realisation of shared goals.

In the face of rising social and economic challenges, she not­ed that, working together and exchanging experiences was key to finding the right solutions to spur growth.

She said the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) was an opportunity to further Africa’s growth by sustaining economic and social empowerment programmes for the citizenry