…commends Otumfuo for releasing 150-acre land
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has inaugurated an integrated composting and recycling plant worth US$95 million in Kumasi to serve as the central point for processing waste generated in the Ashanti Region.
The facility, named after the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was established by the Jospong Group of Companies, specifically Zoomlion, in partnership with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.
The project, which started in 2013 on a 150-acre piece of land at Adagya-Kumasi, has an installed capacity to process about 1,200 tonnes a day with double traction of 2,400 tonnes, and is estimated to create some 800 direct and 2,000 indirect jobs to natives of Kumasi.
President Akufo-Addo, speaking at the opening ceremony, commended the Jospong Group for being an epitome of patriotism and how Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives can foster development in the country.
“This integrated composting and recycling plant which has 98 percent recovery rate is a commendable initiative and I will charge the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources to continue to partner Zoomlion to establish such facilities across all the 16 regions in the country.
Government remains committed to partner the private sector to bridge the sanitation infrastructure gap. We will provide vision and direction and shine the light down the path of our entrepreneurs and farmers. We are indeed counting on a vibrant private sector to drive growth and create jobs. We will stimulate the creative juices of innovators,” he said.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, speaking on the theme: ‘A cleaner and healthier environment for the people of the Ashanti Region’, said: “this project will provide a sustainable solution to the waste management challenges of the Ashanti Region. These challenges have contributed to sicknesses and have been the cause of air and water pollution. I therefore wish to commend Zoomlion and the entire Jospong Group on this impressive accomplishment.”
Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, Founder and Executive Chairman, Jospong Group of Companies, in his address indicated that the ability of local businesses to contribute meaningfully to meeting the developmental needs of the country is hinged on the spirit of collaboration.
“This waste management facility is a testament to the salience of cooperation between the Jospong Group of Companies on the one hand and the government of Ghana as well as other local and international organisations on the other. We appreciate the support of government for the private sector in building a strong public private partnership for national development.”
The facility, which is aimed at using a step-by-step approach to achieving the zero waste goal, has the mechanism to process received materials such as shredded plastics, cans, pets and used car tires into re-useable products such as paper, pelletized plastics and metal scraps.
The facility comes in two phases and the first phase comprises a compost, sorting, recycling plant, weighing bridge and a research laboratory, among others while the second consists of waste to energy, waste water treatment plant, plastic waste recycling leachate treatment Workshop and E-waste processing among others.
