TDC TO CLEAR DILAPIDATED STRUCTURES IN TEMA (PAGE 29)

The Tema Development Corporation (TDC) is initiating a re-development scheme under which it will pull down all dilapidated structures in slum areas in the Tema township. The programme forms part of its 125 years mandate as the planners and managers of Tema.
Areas to be tackled at the beginning are parts of Community One and Community Two, which were the first communities created by the Legislative Instrument which set up the Tema Development Corporation.
The acting Managing Director of the Tema Development Corporation (TDC), Mr Joe Abbey, who said this also called for a review of the current Local Government Act 462 of 1993 to recognise the role of the TDC in the planning and management of the harbour city.
He explained that the TDC and the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) had a complementary role to play but lack of understanding had led to misinformation about its functions.
Mr Abbey who was reacting to public complaints about the functions of the TDC and TMA, said the Local government Act 462 1974 recognised Tema and Akosombo but when it was amended in 1994 TDC was left out.
He said the TDC had been tasked to create and build for the TMA to benefit by collecting rates, citing examples like market tolls ,shop levies, fees and rates from schools and residential structures etc..
The acting TDC managing director said Tema had reached a stage where certain areas had to be re-built as indicated by the law that after 50 years some re-structuring needed to be done.
He said the mandate of the TDC had not expired, and explained that development did not mean to build and sell only but to facilitate it, taking cognisance of the 90 years lease of houses in Tema.
Mr Abbey said public complaints about the roles of the TDC and TMA came up when the TMA, instead of examining and approving building plans submitted by the TDC for record purposes, instead asked clients to go over all the process of the issuance of permits at the assembly, resulting in duplication.
He said as a result of the duplication of the documentation process, a harmonisation committee was set up to ensure the smooth co-existence of the TDC and TMA but it failed to complete its work.
Mr Abbey was of the view that the TMA benefited directly from the labour of the TDC because at the end of the day the assembly collected property rates without putting in any effort or making any contribution.
Mr Abbey said currently a minimum of 800 houses under construction at Community 25 were near completion and that 'all these would go to generate revenue for the assembly'.
Mr Abbey said out of the 25 communities supposed to be constructed, the TDC had completed 23 and work was yet to begin on Communities 23 and 24.
He said Community Two which was one of the oldest communities to be built in the early 1960s would need to be re-developed .
Mr Abbey said Communities 16 and 17 had been handed over to the Nungua stool and therefore were no more under the control of the TDC, noting that Communities 13,14,15,18, 19 and 20 were all part of Tema and were serviced plots.
He described the functions of the TDC as 'mutually exclusive' with a statutory role while the TMA had the political authority.
Mr Abbey said the TDC would, in collaboration with the Tema Municipal Assembly, start a public education programme soon after the new chief executive had taken office to clarify its functions vis-a-vis those of the assembly.
He said the TDC had set up a technical committee to revive its abandoned projects to bring back the beauty of Tema.