Coniwas, ESPA want charges for solid waste management increased

The Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) and the Coalition of NGO’s in Water and Sanitation (Coniwas) want government to address the low charges for managing solid waste in the country. Ghana charges an average 10 dollars in managing a tonne of municipal solid waste, a charge that is comparatively lower than the World Bank recommended fee of 30 dollars. In a joint press statement, the ESPA and Coniwas demanded of government to address the cost deficit to ensure sustainable waste management in Ghana. Vice President of Coniwas, Mr Atta Arhin who delivered at a news conference at the 30th MOLE XXX Conference in Ho in the Volta Region described the low financial allocation to the water and sanitation sector as abysmally low which cannot sustain the sector. “Investment in environmental sanitation has been abysmally low. Budgetary allocation to the Ministry has declined from 255 million cedis in 2017 (which was woefully inadequate) to 246 million cedis in 2019,” he said. He said inadequate financing of solid waste management coupled with high cost of operations and unrealistic tariffs further restraints the capacity of service providers to deliver the services effectively, especially to the poor. Mr. Arhin said despite the low financial allocation, delays in payment of service providers by government, high taxes on imported equipment and increasing cost of fuel is driving many service providers out of the business. He urged government to support existing waste treatment facilities with financial incentives including, management fees, and signing off-takers agreement as well as provide subsidies. The Mole Conference has for the past 30 years brings together stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector to deliberate on Ghana’s challenges and proffer suggestions that help shape policy. This year’s conference was under the theme “30 years of Multi-Stakeholder WASH Dialogue: Reflections and Prospects”. By 3news.com|Ghana]]>