- The Rent Control Department (RCD) under Ghana’s Ministry of Works and Housing has announced its plan to digitise its operations in March 2024.
- Full implementation will come after a pilot test that will see the installation of the digital system, which will let the Department increase its efficiency and accessibility while improving service delivery to the public.
- Francis Asenso-Boakye (MP), the Minister of Works and Housing, disclosed this during his visit to the Department on Tuesday, February 12, 2024, to assess the level of preparations for the incoming digital system.
Ghana’s RCD, a department under the Ministry of Works and Housing, regulates the activities of landlords and tenants to ensure optimum peaceful co-existence through education, reconciliation and enforcement of the Rent Act 220.
It handles rent control, possession of premises recovery, and guidance on rent matters, among other responsibilities.
According to Asenso-Boakye, the system will allow house owners, tenants, and the Department to carry out all operations through a dedicated portal without leaving the office.
In response to the constantly changing rental market, Minister Boakye stated that the government is reviewing the Rent Act, which it has already submitted to the National Assembly.
Moreover, digitising its process will enable the RCD to perform its duties online, such as responding to complaints, processing payments, and interacting with customers.
This move by the Department is expected to boost the efficiency of service delivery, curb corruption, enhance transparency, and increase access to affordable, adequate, and safe rental accommodation in the country.
The new system will enable Ghanaians to advertise and promote their homes and link landlords and prospective tenants.
Landlords and tenants will handle everything from the comfort of their homes without visiting the Rent Control office, according to Amit Meluban, the project manager for the digitisation initiative.
The idea to digitise the operations of the RCD was first raised by the country’s Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, during his visit to the Department in 2020, stating the need to transform the Department.
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The project manager, Mr. Amit Meluban, reaffirmed that after the department goes online, individuals can complete all tasks, including payments, from the comfort of their homes or workplaces.
What’s more, given past reports spotlighting the many challenges the department has encountered while delivering services to Ghanaians, including endless paperwork, long queues, and growing corruption, all of which led to inefficiencies, the decision to digitise the RCD is expected to forestall these problems.
