Nana Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, the Oti Regional Minister, has inaugurated a 14-member spatial planning committee in the Oti Region.

The establishment of the Committee is in line with the provisions in the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016(Act,925).

Inaugurating the committee on behalf of Hajia Alima Mahama, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Nana Owusu-Yeboa said the ACT requires each Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to establish a Regional Spatial Planning Committee (RSPC).

This is to provide technical advice on land use planning and development control to the RCC.

The Minister said the land use and spatial ACT stipulates the implementation of a three-tier planning system, which includes the Regions and Districts compliance with the preparation of spatial development frameworks (SDFs), preparation of structure plans (SPs) and preparation of local plans (LPS).

The Regional Minister told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that Madam Alima Mahama had already inaugurated the regional spatial planning committee in the new regions and it was the turn of Oti.

He said there was the need to prepare timely spatial plans for major towns to avert the problems associated with land use planning, overcrowding, generation of slums, lack of development control, unplanned and haphazard development.

Mr Owusu-Yeboa said that the new regions must take advantage to re-plan their areas into city extension programmes which would serve as a new norm for fast-developing towns, promote joint planning between two more districts and ensure that all streets properties are addressed properly for easy digitisation and promotion of spatial location.

Mr Owusu-Yeboa, who chaired the Committee, assured of diligent work to stem land litigation and haphazard development of human settlement in Oti region.

The fourteen-member spatial planning committee includes Nana Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa (Chairman), Regional Head of Land Use of spatial planning ( Secretary), Regional Coordinating Director ( Member), Regional Head of Ghana National Fire Service (Member), Regional Head of Environmental Protection Agency ( Member), Regional Head of Ghana Highway Authority (Member), Representative of Regional House of Chiefs (Member).

The rest are, Regional Head of National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Member, Regional Head of Forestry Commission (Member), Regional Head of Water Resources Commission (Member), Representative of Utility Service Providers (Member), Regional Head of Land Commission (member), Regional Economic Planning Officer(Member) and Regional Director of Water Resources Commission( member).