Kofi Anokye
The Cheif Executive Officer of Koans Building Solutions, Mr Kofi Anokye has called on colleague Engineers and Real Estate Developers to factor low-income earners in their buildings and planning to make housing available to low-income earners.
Providing a two bedroom self-contained for journalists in Ghana at a cost of Sixty Ghana Cedis, the international award-winning Real Estate mogul indicated that his ability to build at that cheap cost was due to a conscious effort to factor low-income earners in his planning and [ads1]building.
According to him, the fact that accommodation is a basic human necessity implies that developers should build in a way that solves the housing problem of those who are not well to do and those who have in abundance whilst making a reasonable profit to remain in business at the same time
“The current prices of houses across the country is far above the purchasing powers of most middle-income earners and therefore it becomes difficult for them to qualify for mortgage and therefore we as developers have the responsibility to factor in these people because we are among other things in the housing sector to improved livelihood”
The notion that only the rich can own houses in Ghana should be changed because housing is so basic a necessity to be the preserve of a selected few.
He said this in an interview with this reporter during the GJA Price Presentation for the 2016 edition of the Ghana Journalist Awards at the International Press Center.
Mr Anokye who was at the event to answer questions on his company’s decision to collaborate with the Journalist Association to build a Gated Media Village for practitioners called on Journalists and Ghanaians in general to invest in fixed assets for huge return on profit within a short period of time instead of getting a meagre interest on idle money at the bank.,
In 2010, a worker at Barleys Bank bought a plot of land for 2500 Ghana Cedis, today, that same plot at Kuntunse where my second Estate sells at not less than 40,000 Ghana Cedis. He revealed.
“There is no investment that gives this kind of return and therefore the investment direction for the Ghanaian of today is to be in lands and housing because they appreciate in value within a short period of time.”
He advised the youth in Ghana to refrain from buying cars and focus on investing in areas that guarantee high return on investments because whereas cars require huge maintenance and depreciate, lands and houses keep appreciating in value.
Committing himself to providing a media village with two bedroom self-contained houses at Sixty Thousand Ghana Cedis and three rooms at seventy thousand Ghana Cedis, he encouraged journalists to take advantage of the offer because it is nearly impossible to get same for less.
The media village will be the second of its kind provided by Koans Estate for professional with Ghana Revenue authority being the first institution to sign on to the initiative with the first phase being halfway through.
Koans Media Village will be situated at the Nsawem Pampaso branch of the Estate. The two room house which will be the long-term boys quarters on the plot as an when the owner is ready to expand will be situated at the far end of the 70 by 100 sized plot so that it does not interfere with expansion.
Roofed with concrete tiles and with kitchen and bathroom tiled, the house is complete for the habitation of individuals and families
Each house will be fenced with hedges to keep the community as green as possible.
Koans Building Solutions, lead sponsors of the Ghana Journalist Awards promised the overall best journalist of the winner a three bedroom standard house which will be located at the Media Village
The winner for the 2016 edition was Kwame Sefa Kai of Peace FM.