The Managing Director of the State Housing Company, Mark Ankrah, has ruled out any deliberate attempts by government to ignore members of the Ghana Real Estate Development Association (GREDA) in the award and execution of public works. He said the challenge lies with individual members of the Association to improve upon their skills and efficiencies to merit the award of huge public works such as housing schemes. Earlier this week, members of GREDA renewed attacks on government accusing it of deliberately sidelining local real estate developers in the execution of government’s housing projects. Their attacks came on the heels of the signing of a new housing deal between government and a South African construction firm, GUMA group over the weekend for the construction of 500 housing units for Police and Military personnel after the STX housing deal was aborted earlier this year. Speaking on pm: EXPRESS, a current affairs discussion programme on Joy News Television, Mr. Ankrah who is also a member of the Housing Committee of the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing said government is convinced using GREDA to execute public construction will be in the country’s interest but said not all members of GREDA have the ability to take on bigger tasks. “I think that if GREDA presents a credible proposal to government, I’m very confident that government will look at it favorably. We have been talking about local content. It is very important that in trying to find solutions to housing, we do not lose sight of the job creation component which is key”, he said. He indicated government is reviewing a number of proposals from government and was hopeful due consideration would be given to them. A member of the Housing Projects Management Committee of the same Ministry, Dr. Camynta Baezie said in the process of finding a suitable company to undertake the 500 housing project, government engaged GREDA extensively on several aspects of the project and that it was untrue they were side-stepped. But GREDA President, Dr. Alex Tweneboah insisted his organization has not been treated fairly by successive governments. He said though GREDA has existed for 23 years, the country’s housing deficit continuous to grow. GREDA, he said, has some 15,000 housing units at various locations to its credit, “an ample testimony it has the capacity to deliver”.