Ghana Assembly Urges Sanitation Courts, More Funding Amidst Waste Management Woes

The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has urgently highlighted the critical need for dedicated sanitation courts and sustainable, increased funding for all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to effectively tackle sanitation challenges. Frederick Faustinus Faidoo, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, articulated these pressing concerns during a visit by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources, emphasizing that while efforts are ongoing, the current resource constraints significantly hamper service delivery.

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Sanitation issues have not been very easy here, but we are doing our best within the available resources.

Faidoo pointed out a major hurdle: the guidelines governing the District Assemblies Common Fund restrict sanitation and waste management spending to a mere 10% of the allocated budget. This limitation, he explained, is a primary reason why the STMA struggles to maintain adequate waste management equipment and services. He inherited a metropolis with a drastically reduced number of communal waste containers, forcing the assembly to manage an engineered landfill site with limited resources. Despite these difficulties, the assembly continues its operations, including waste disposal at the landfill.

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guidelines governing the District Assemblies Common Fund limit assemblies to spending only 10 per cent of the allocation on waste management and sanitation, a situation he said continues to constrain effective service delivery.

The STMA's call for improved financial allocation and the establishment of sanitation courts reflects a broader national issue concerning the capacity of MMDAs to deliver essential services. The government's approach of allowing private service providers for waste management is seen as a positive step, but it requires robust regulatory oversight and adequate funding mechanisms to be truly effective. The Parliamentary Select Committee's visit is a crucial part of their oversight responsibility, aiming to assess service delivery, identify challenges, and gather firsthand information to inform potential policy interventions.

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The government’s decision to allow Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to engage private service providers for waste management remained the best approach to easing the operational burden on assemblies.

Edwin Bonsu, the Director of Waste Management at STMA, further corroborated the MCE's concerns, specifically mentioning the reduction in the sanitation workforce due to financial constraints. He noted that only 20 personnel are currently engaged for daily sweeping operations, a stark contrast to previous arrangements. While the procurement of 10 tricycles offers some support for daily cleaning, it is evident that a more comprehensive and sustainable funding strategy is imperative. From Ghana's perspective, as covered by the Ghanaian Times, addressing these sanitation and funding gaps is not just about environmental cleanliness but also about public health, economic development, and the overall quality of life for citizens in our urban centers.

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He explained that the engagement formed part of the committee’s oversight responsibility to assess sanitation service delivery across the country, identify operational challenges and gather firsthand information from assemblies about service providers.