Government will next week convene a meeting with key stakeholders to begin the process of fashioning out a national Property Addressing System (PAS), to be developed in tandem with the National Identification system.
The PAS is another indication of the Akufo-Addo government’s determination to formalize Ghana’s economy and facilitate accelerated national development.
Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, announced plans for the meeting while speaking at a conference on Good Corporate Governance in Accra on Tuesday January 31, 2017.
It was under the theme “Accelerating Ghana’s Development through Transparency & Integrity.”
While emphasizing the importance of a National Identification system in the growth strategy of any nation, Dr Bawumia underscored the NPP government’s objective of integrating the various sectors of the economy to promote transparency and good governance through a proper addressing system.
“In addition to unique identification for individuals, we need unique identification for properties. It is very important for transparency and good governance that Ghana puts together a Property Addressing System, a post code system, totally GPS-based digital addressing system,” Dr Bawumia stated.
He continued: “Every property, thanks to Google maps and others, has a unique GPS code. That we know. But we have so many different bodies and institutions – Lands Commission, Survey Department, Minerals Commission, Forestry Commission – everybody has their own maps. So we’re going to bring everybody together, sit down and forge this property addressing system once and for all.
“Starting from next week we’ll have our first stakeholder meeting on this property addressing system, and it will help us as a country, if we work in tandem with the national ID system, to really formalize our economy.”
Among other benefits, a formalized economy will prevent people from escaping the payment of taxes and levies required for national development, Dr Bawumia stated.
The Good Corporate Governance Initiative was organized by the Action Chapel International in collaboration with KRIF Ghana and the US Embassy. H.E. Robert Jackson, Ambassador of USA to Ghana, was also present.