Mr. J.H. Mensah, Chairman of the National Planning Commission, at the weekend appealed to the Sunyani Municipal Assembly to suspend immediately the building permit granted to Ghana Telecom to construct a one-storey building in Sunyani to serve as the company's customer service centre.
He appealed to the management of Ghana Telecom to dialogue with the Sunyani Traditional Council to decide the type of building to be put up that would befit the status of the regional capital.
Mr. Mensah, who is the MP for Sunyani East, was interacting with newsmen on pertinent issues in Sunyani.
He said even though the company had the land from the traditional council free of charge some years ago and its decision to put up the building was part of its corporate responsibility, "there is the need for Ghana Telecom to get in touch with both the traditional council and the municipal planning authority before putting up any settlement."
"Ownership does not confer absolute usage", Mr. Mensah said and that "failure in proper town planning is responsible for a lot of misery in the country".
He said considering the rapid transformation, more especially in economic activities, and for the fact that the land is sited at the centre of the regional capital, there was the need to ensure and promote suitable financial base in the municipality.
Mr. Mensah said the country had a bright future and expressed the importance to concentrate on issues that would facilitate the pace of accelerated national development.
The Sunyani Traditional Council held a press conference on May 12 and raised objection about a proposed construction of a single storey building by Ghana Telecom in Sunyani to serve as its customer service centre.
The council said the plan of the building would deface the beauty of the town and also impede economic activities.
It therefore advised GT to reverse its decision and put up not less than a four-storey building considering the location of the land.
Ghana Telecom has started razing down the old building to construct the proposed single storey building.