A policy championed by former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has been described as impactful, making positive contributions to the lives of Ghanaians.
The National Rental Assistance Scheme, a policy Dr Bawumia championed to support working Ghanaians to pay rent and repay in instalments, was launched by the former Vice President in 2023.
Dr Bawumia conceived the idea after a visit to the National Rent Control Department, where he expressed concern over exorbitant rent charges and the demand by landlords for full payment of rent advances, contrary to the law.
To address these concerns, the scheme was introduced with an initial allocation of GH¢30 million from the erstwhile government as seed funding to provide loans to eligible workers for rent payments. The scheme was launched under the stewardship of the then Minister for Works and Housing, Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye.
Three years after the launch of the policy, the new Minister for Housing, Mr Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has hailed its impact, describing it as a major success.
Speaking during the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, January 28, Mr Adjei said the initiative had helped to ease the burden on Ghanaians, noting that since its inception in 2023, it has supported more than 4,700 beneficiaries, with a recovery rate of about 99 per cent on the soft loans.
“At its inception, the scheme received GH¢27 million in seed funding. Over time, both principal and interest have rolled over, resulting in GH¢71.7 million now available, demonstrating the scheme’s financial sustainability,” the Minister said.
At the launch of the programme in 2023, Dr Bawumia announced that it would be piloted in six regions: Greater Accra, Bono East, Northern, Eastern, Western and Ashanti. The scheme has, however, recorded significant success, with the Housing Minister revealing that in 2025 alone, 2,031 individuals benefited from it.
Following this performance, the Minister said the government intends to expand the scheme to cover additional regions.
“The eligibility criteria, application process and beneficiaries’ success stories confirm its impact on addressing housing needs. The government is preparing to scale the scheme nationwide across all 16 regions in the short to medium term,” he said.
Meanwhile, a number of Ghanaians reacting to the development on social media have commended Dr Bawumia for initiating what they described as a practical and impactful policy.
Others also commended the Minister for Housing for retaining the policy and acknowledging its effectiveness.
At the launch of the National Rent Assistance Scheme in 2023, which was attended by several stakeholders including the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Bawumia recalled his visit to the National Rent Control Department and his first-hand encounter with the frustrations of many Ghanaians over rent issues.
He commended the Ministry of Works and Housing for its cooperation and urged officials to ensure the scheme succeeded to enable its expansion to other parts of the country within a short period.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com