The Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has expressed deep concern over the growing encroachment on quarry and sand-winning zones, describing the situation as a major crisis undermining the country’s construction and housing sector.
He said the sprawl of housing and other built infrastructure into designated extraction areas was driving up costs, delaying projects and threatening the delivery of affordable housing in the country.
As a result, he said, the cost of transporting aggregates had increased by as much as 23 per cent, with contractors in some areas now compelled to haul materials from more than 40 kilometres away.
“This is far more than just an inconvenience; it disrupts project schedules, inflates budgets, increases contractor risks, and ultimately places additional strain on public finances,” the minister said in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Chief Director of the ministry, Rev. Stephen Osei, at a Cross-Sectoral Forum on Encroachment in Accra last Tuesday.
The forum, convened by the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry, brought together stakeholders from across sectors to deliberate on strategies to curb encroachment and safeguard the long-term sustainability of the country’s construction and housing industry.
Consequences of encroachment
The minister said the consequences of the challenge included stalled housing projects, weakened partnerships and declining investor confidence in the sector.
Participants in the event
“These figures are not mere statistics; they represent homes not built, infrastructure delayed, and opportunities lost,” he stressed.
While pledging the government’s commitment to addressing the problem, he emphasised the need for collective action.
He, therefore, called on the Minerals Commission and the Lands Commission to collaborate with his ministry to map and protect critical extraction zones, while urging the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen environmental safeguards and to promote sustainable alternatives to natural materials.
Appeal
The minister further appealed to metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to ensure strict enforcement of zoning regulations to prevent further encroachment.
Beyond regulation, Mr Adjei urged stakeholders to strengthen monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, encourage innovation in sustainable building materials, and deepen private sector collaboration to build a more resilient construction industry.
“The task ahead demands boldness, unity and urgency. It is only through strong partnerships between government, regulators, local authorities, industry players, and communities that we can protect our resources, reduce cost pressures, and restore efficiency to our project delivery systems,” he said.
Challenges in the industry
The Executive Chairman of the Commercial Quarry Association, Dr Ebenezer Mireku, warned that persistent encroachment on quarry lands was a threat to the survival of the industry and could derail the country’s infrastructure development.
He said encroachment was widespread across the southern parts of the country, namely the Ashanti, Volta, Eastern, Greater Accra, Western, and Central regions.
“Encroachment carries both human and economic costs. Quarry operations are hazardous, which is why the law requires a 500-metre buffer zone.
Once people settle too close, it puts lives at risk.
And if a quarry is forced to close, the reserves are effectively buried,” he cautioned.
Dr Mireku urged the government to ensure strict enforcement of existing laws to curb encroachment, stressing that granite must be treated as a strategic national resource.
“Without aggregates, we cannot build roads or any other infrastructure.
Everywhere the President goes, communities demand roads, but no road can be constructed without aggregates,” he pointed out.
He further stressed that most contracts were awarded to foreign contractors who often imported their own supplies rather than sourcing from local operators.
“Even when they produce their own materials, they sell them to projects at prevailing market prices, as if they had bought them directly from the open market,” he said.
Dr Mireku highlighted the challenges posed by non-compliant operators who failed to adhere to industry regulations.
He said while quarry operators collected payments in cedis, some statutory charges payable to the Minerals Commission and the EPA were denominated in dollars, creating major financial strain.
