Accra, Ghana//-The Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) has called on government to fast track the passage of the Survey Council Bill currently before Parliament to bring sanity to the surveying industry in the country.
When it is passed, it would help regulate the activities of the industry, according to the GhIS.
“The bill has been in Parliament for close to 30 years and as a result all manner of surveying activities have taken a center stage in the surveying space”, the institution said.
The President of GhIS, Dr John Amaglo made the call at a media briefing in Accra to celebrate the 16th Surveyors week and 52nd Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The weeklong celebration which began on 22nd of February and climax on 26th February was on the theme- ‘Building a Resilient Surveying Practice for Contemporary Times’.
Line up of activities to mark the weeklong event included press launch, orientation of newly qualified members, lectures, elevation of members into class of fellows, induction of newly qualified members, Annual General meeting and will be climaxed with the swearing in of Executives and Governing Council members as well as Presidents investiture.
According to Dr Amaglo the weeklong activities would help the institution to take stock of the operations of the surveying profession and works and address the emerging trends and challenges in the fields of surveying and to scale up the effort in putting the institution and members in good standing.
“GhIS is a recognized professional body and comprises with three surveying disciplines, namely land surveying division, quantity surveying, evaluation and estate surveying with a membership strength of over two thousand five hundred working staff across the country”, he said.
He said further that, non-surveyors must not advise on land administration matters and pointed out that such moves will lead the industry into chaos and was quick to add that only Professional Quantity Surveyors be allowed to monitor all government budgetary projects.
For his part, the Chairman of GhIS Planning Committee, Jeoffrey Afful said all the weeklong activities would be held via zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic adding the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted negatively on businesses as well as leaving thousands of people across unemployed in the country.
Ben Laryea reporting from Accra, Ghana
