Gov’t to establish National Sanitation Authority and Fund – Akufo Addo

President Akufo Addo has hinted that his government will soon establish a National Sanitation Authority and Sanitation Fund.

According to the Nana Addo, the move to establish the sanitation regulators and funds to help achieve the government’s ambitious way of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa.

Speaking at the launch of the National Sanitation Campaign, Nana Addo outlined components of the campaign including an introduction of automated sweepers.

He also disclosed that there will be a new National Sanitation Brigade, a re-branding of the feared town council in the 80's.

“The personnel of this outfit would conduct regular visits to all offices to ensure that there is compliance and, where it so requires, take legal action against those infringing on the laws,” he explained.

In an example, President Akufo-Addo noted that every government department and agency, including the Seat of Government, is assigning two officers, to be designated Sanitation Marshal and Deputy Marshal, to oversee compliance of their outfits and their staff to the laid down by-laws with regard to sanitation in their respective offices.

Ministers, Chief Executives and Chief Directors of government departments and agencies will be held accountable for any lapses in the failure to comply with this directive, the President stressed.

He added that “the heads of departments have one week within which to identify and assign these officers. The Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate must take steps to train these appointed officers on their new roles within one month of their appointment.”
President Akufo-Addo announced at the campaign launch that Government has taken measures to acquire, for the Accra Metropolitan Area, three new sites to serve as integrated material recovery sites to address the issue of disposal of waste.

The three sites are located at Otinibi, Nsumia Number 3 in the Adoagyiri Municipality, and another in the Gbawe/Mallam area. Similar undertakings, he said, are being explored in the other regions to ensure that there are adequate, modern, engineered and environmentally acceptable sites for the processing of waste nationwide.

“I wish to stress that it is the policy of the government to acquire and own these sites, in partnership with the private sector. Management service contracts of these sites will be awarded through a competitive tendering process. This policy will ensure fair play and avoid monopoly,” he added.
The government, the President noted, is also providing assistance to environmental service providers, who clean up the cities and towns.

“These measures include assisting them with access to credit facilities, and defining a tax regime that will enable them to procure new and effective tools for their work… Modern, new state-of-the-art trucks and equipment are of the utmost necessity to deliver on this objective, and I intend to make it happen,” he assured.

Meanwhile, The Nana Addo led administration has borrowed an amount of $48M to help fulfil his promise of making Ghana’s capital the cleanest city in Africa.

The amount was approved by Parliament on Wednesday, August 2, 2017, and the money is expected to be used for the Greater Accra Sustainable Sanitation and Livelihoods Improvement Project.

Explaining the rationale behind the borrowing, Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei Asare said the benefit far outweighs the cost and also government holds the health of residents in high esteem hence the decision to borrow.

 

primenewsghana.com/Ghana News