Processes and Procedures for the Application and Issuance of Building Permits in the Metropolitan Cities of Ghana: A Study of Accra and Kumasi Metropolises

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2015-02-20
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Shelter like the other basic needs of man are diverse in cultural settings and geographic locations. Nonetheless it has undergone many changes and in some instances, remarkable transformation in fields like Medicine, ICT, Engineering e.t.c. The increasing world population has made the need for shelter all the more important. Ghana is no different, as over the last 20-30 years, it has seen an unprecedented rise in construction activities in the provision of shelter. Unfortunately, this has brought in its wake enormous problem of haphazard developments in all of the urban centers of the country. Many reasons have been attributed to the problem. Thus, the main purpose of this research was to identify the main stumbling blocks in the processing and issuance of building permits by the city authorities of Accra and Kumasi. These two cities were chosen because they are the most urbanized settlements in Ghana and for that matter the ones faced with highest number of building permit requests. The process followed to complete the study included field survey, interviews, and observations and the administering of questionnaires. The Simple random technique was used to select 109 and 83respondents in Accra and Kumasi respectively. Tables and charts were generated from the Scientific Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) in the analysis of the data collected.The study revealed that there is ineffectiveness in the process and procedure for application and issuance of building permits. This stems from the fact that, instead of the stipulated three (3) months period for the issuance of permit, it took up to six (6) months or more, to get any feedbacks on applications. It was found out that the process did not differ significantly from that of other jurisdictions. The study therefore recommended that there should be regular meetings of the statutory planning committee; there should be an easier system by means of ICT for applicants to verify status of their applications and also logistically strengthening of the institutions involved in the process. These, among others will go a long way to enhance the processes and procedures of obtaining building a permit.
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A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Building Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Master of Science in Construction Management
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