A planner has bemoaned the failure of the implementation of spatial planning for the informal sector in Ghana, and made some recommendations for addressing the situation.
The recommendations include the need to provide alternative sites for informal activities; and the review of some planning laws.
The other recommendations proffered by Sam Afrane, Dean of the Faculty of Planning and Land Economy of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology at Kumasi, are resourcing and strengthening metropolitan, municipal and district planning institutions; and a reform of the entire planning system in the country.
Professor Afrane was speaking on the topic "The Spatial dimensions of the Informal Economy" at the Institute of statistical, social and Economic Research-Merchant Bank Development Seminar Series in Accra Wednesday. The series is under the theme, "The Informal Economy and Ghana's future development: Policy Dilemmas and Prospects."
Prof Afrane noted that the informal economy is a visible and unyielding phenomenon characterizing the space economy of cities of the developing countries, including Ghana. Quoting Perin"s (1977), a researcher, statement that "there is a place for everything and everything in its place," Prof Afrane suggested a shift from the currently-applied segregationist approach of land use planning to the integrative model that blends place of work with residence.
He said congestion in the cities is caused by the conventional segregationist approach in practice at present, and called for a paradigm shift in city planning by applying the multi-frontal model to address the problems of planning implementation. "Cities of tomorrow must go with the integrative approach as the current situation is a symptom of the collapsed city planning system."
He contended that the implication of such an approach would be that "informal activities will not be treated as an 'after-thought’, but rather their space needs will be well-integrated in structure plans of cities."
The land economist said the establishment of hawkers’ market, though contradictory semantically, was "positive and a starting-point" since that would ease congestion in the major spatial components consisting of sedentary and fixed locations such as public spaces, namely pavements, parks, alleys and undeveloped parcels of land.
He said the current planning legislation, which is CAP 84, was enacted by the British colonial administration in 1945 and was reviewed three times, but it has not been revised since Ghana attained independence 50 years ago. He added that CAP 84 conflicts with aspects of the present local government law, Act 462.
Basing his lecture on a case study he conducted in Kumasi, capital of the Ashanti Region, the member of the national development Planning Commission, stated that most of the informal operators interviewed did not have official authorisation from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, yet about 97 per cent of them paid fees and taxes to the KMA. "This undermines KMA authority to address the problem."
Jacob Songsore, Dean of School of Research and Graduate Studies at University of Ghana, who chaired the lecture, said about 70 per cent of housing is quasi-legal. Prof Songsore lamented that the colonial planning system excluded indigenous housing and economy, causing a disjoint between the economy and space planning.
"We have been far from imaginative. There is a need to have a balance between the public and the private. All cities are increasing becoming informal and we are penalising the indigenous economy where economic growth can be generated."
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