Sanitation crisis: Minority demands dedicated fund as municipalities struggle with basic waste collection

The Minority in Ghana's Parliament is calling for a dedicated sanitation fund, highlighting that municipalities are struggling to finance even basic waste collection. Deputy Ranking Member Ralph Poku-Adusei expressed these concerns during a recent interview with JoyNews. He pointed out that some municipalities have only eight sanitation workers, questioning their capacity to effectively manage their areas.

Poku-Adusei also noted the absence of permanent contracts with waste management companies in certain districts and municipalities, which he believes hinders sustained efforts to improve sanitation. He argued that Ghana should be investing in systems that transform waste into useful resources, such as waste processing, instead of solely focusing on collection and landfill management.

Poku-Adusei pointed out that many countries have moved beyond basic waste management and are utilizing waste to generate electricity through technologies like biogas. He stressed that Ghana's ongoing challenges with waste collection, landfill management, and open defecation indicate the country's lag behind in addressing these issues.

The call for a dedicated sanitation fund comes as the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources reviews waste management systems across the nation, aiming to provide sustainable financing for waste collection, processing, and other sanitation services, especially at the municipal and district levels.