Accra: The Ministry of Defence has inaugurated a 16-member Policy Formulation Committee to develop a comprehensive Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) Home Ownership Policy and Scheme. This initiative aims to address the long-standing housing deficit facing military personnel and veterans. It forms part of the government's efforts to establish a sustainable and structured framework to support home ownership among officers, soldiers, and retired personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces.
According to Ghana News Agency, the committee is chaired by Brigadier General Ben Gah, the Principal General Staff Officer, and comprises representatives from the Office of the President, National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, National Homeownership Fund, Ministry of Defence, State Housing Company, the Ghana Armed Forces, and veterans' groups. Notable members include Rev. Dr. Albert Okpoti Botchway from the Office of the President; Mrs. Alice Amekudzi of the NDPC; Mr. Frederick Maxwell Lomotey from the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources; and Mr. Prosper Hoetu of the National Homeownership Fund.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Accra, Mr. Ernest Brogya Genfi, the Deputy Minister of Defence, stated that the housing deficit within the GAF was estimated at about 14,000 units - a situation he said continued to affect the welfare, morale, and retention of personnel. He emphasized that access to decent housing should not be treated as a privilege but as a matter of institutional commitment and national honor.
Mr. Genfi explained that the Home Ownership Policy and Scheme was not tied to a single housing project but intended to establish a broad and permanent policy framework. 'This framework will guide financing, eligibility, governance, and institutional support systems for home ownership across all ranks and career stages within the Armed Forces,' he stated.
The Deputy Minister disclosed that the Government, through the Defence Industries Holding Company (DIHOC), had initiated plans to provide about 10,000 housing units for military personnel within the next five years, with an initial phase of 2,000 units already commissioned under a partnership involving DIHOC and private sector partners.
Mr. Genfi commended the Military High Command for initiating self-help housing projects to replace old, dilapidated colonial-era structures at Burma Camp and urged committee members to ensure that the final policy framework was practical, financially sustainable, and legally sound.
Brigadier General Ben Gah, Chairman of the Committee, described the assignment as both important and timely, noting that the welfare and long-term well-being of military personnel required deliberate and sustainable interventions. He pledged the committee's preparedness to work towards developing an equitable, practical, and implementable framework capable of supporting the housing aspirations of both serving and retired personnel.
Documents outlining the committee's mandate indicate that the policy framework will review existing military housing arrangements, assess affordability and housing demand, examine legal and institutional frameworks, and explore best practices in military housing schemes both locally and internationally. The committee is also expected to evaluate various housing delivery options, including mortgage-based schemes, rent-to-own arrangements, direct construction and sale models, and public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements. The policy formulation exercise is being undertaken in line with the Civil Service Law, 1993 (PNDCL 327), which mandates ministries to formulate sector policies under the government's 2026-2029 Sector Medium-Term Development Plan.