Local Govt rolls-out automated Permit Processing System

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development will by mid-March 2019 roll-out a construction Permit Processing System (PPS) which involves the use of a new software for the automation of land title processes, permits and certification.

Mr Samuel Duodo, the Technical Advisor to the Ministry’s Project on the PPS, said the roll-out would start with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and its environs, and gradually spread to other assemblies across the country.

The PPS, he said, would help streamline and simplify the license and permit system at the sub-national level under the Business Enabling Environment Programme and further reduce the time and cost for developers to obtain a construction permit.

Interacting with media

Mr Duodu was interacting with the media in Accra on Tuesday after the selected members from the private sector beneficiary User Community failed to show up for the scheduled training on the construction software.

He underscored the importance of the training for members of the User Community, which would afford them a better understanding of the functioning of the software they required to administer the PPS processes in both the Tema Metropolitan Assembly and the AMA.

He, however, said a new date would be scheduled for the training to ensure effective implementation of the System.

Automated system

Nana Kofi Anane Adjei, a Consultant of the PPS, said the automated system would replace the manual one, which was very slow, cumbersome, time consuming and frustrating to both personnel of the assemblies and their clients.

Therefore, the PPS would ensure fast communication between the assemblies and developers by opening the stage for online submission of documents, making payments, checking of one’s status, making of requests for scheduled appointment with assemblies for inspection of premises, as well as the issuance of permits.

He said previously all those processes were done manually and took developers more than two years to secure their construction permits but with the new system, all things being equal, it would take only 30 days. - GNA