The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), under whose jurisdiction sanitation falls, has revealed that the government owes Zoomlion Ghana Limited GH¢1.2 billion for services provided over the past two years.
The Minister, Ahmed Ibrahim, disclosed this on Adom TV in Accra while addressing concerns over delayed payments to firms under the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA).
He stated that this debt, inherited from the Akufo-Addo administration, has been a significant concern for the current government.
Despite the financial burden, he emphasised the importance of collaboration between the government and private waste management companies like Zoomlion to address Ghana’s sanitation challenges.
“We are collaborating closely with Zoomlion to tackle waste management issues in the country, particularly focusing on recycling plastic waste,” he noted.
He stressed the need for the government to forge robust partnerships with private waste management firms while commending Zoomlion for its state-of-the-art sanitation infrastructure.
According to him, Zoomlion’s substantial investments in modern solid and liquid waste treatment and recycling facilities nationwide remain unmatched, as the government lacks the necessary infrastructure to manage the growing volumes of municipal solid and liquid waste generated daily in the cities.
“Zoomlion’s commitment to building advanced waste management systems across Ghana remains unparalleled,” he stated.
He admitted the government’s lack of comparable infrastructure, stressing the urgency of public-private collaborations to tackle sanitation issues.
The Minister highlighted Zoomlion’s expanded role beyond waste collection, including faecal waste management.
He warned of a nationwide sanitation crisis should Zoomlion halt operations, recalling past practices where faecal waste was dumped directly into the sea, causing environmental and health hazards.
He indicated that Zoomlion’s liquid waste recycling plants now process sewage into compost and charcoal, aligning with a 2016 ban on sea disposal initiated by former President John Dramani Mahama.
The minister , therefore, called for increased government attention to sanitation, citing a cholera outbreak in coastal regions such as Cape Coast, Winneba, and Takoradi on 24 October 2023. He advocated for intensified public education on sanitation risks to prevent future outbreaks.
The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) under which sanitation falls under has revealed that the government owed Zoomlion Ghana Limited GHC 1.2 billion for services provided over the last two years.
Ahmed Ibrahim, made this revelation on Adom TV in Accra, while addressing delayed payments to firms under the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA).
This debt, inherited from the Akufo-Addo administration, he said, has been a significant concern for the current government.
Despite this, he underscored the importance of collaboration between the government and private waste management companies like Zoomlion to address Ghana’s waste management challenges.
“We are collaborating closely with Zoomlion to address waste management challenges in the country, particularly focusing on recycling plastic waste,” he noted.
He stressed the necessity for the government to forge robust partnerships with private waste management firms, while commending Zoomlion for its state-of-the-art sanitation infrastructure.
According to Ahmed Ibrahim, Zoomlion’s substantial investments in modern solid and liquid waste treatment and recycling facilities nationwide remained unparalleled as government does not have such infrastructure to deal with the waste (both municipal solid and liquid waste) being generated daily in the cities.
“Zoomlion’s commitment to building advanced waste management systems across Ghana remains unparalleled,” Ibrahim Ahmed stated.
He admitted the government’s lack of comparable infrastructure, stressing the urgency of public-private collaborations to tackle sanitation issues.
The Minister highlighted Zoomlion’s expanded role beyond waste collection, including faecal waste management.
He warned of a nationwide sanitation crisis should Zoomlion halt operations, recalling past practices where faecal waste was dumped directly into the sea, causing environmental and health hazards.
He indicated that Zoomlion’s liquid waste recycling plants now process sewage into compost and charcoal, aligning with a 2016 ban on sea disposal initiated by President Dramani Mahama.
Ahmed Ibrahim, therefore, called for sufficient government attention to sanitation, citing a cholera outbreak in coastal regions like Cape Coast, Winneba, and Takoradi on October 24, 2023, advocating intensified public education on sanitation risks.
