Waste Management giant Zoomlion Ghana Limited is participating in the ongoing Mole XXXIII WASH Conference being held at Elmina Beach Resort, Elmina, in the Central Region.
The Mole Series, as it is best known, has grown from what was primarily an NGO Forum into perhaps the most important multi-stakeholder platform within the WASH sector in Ghana.
It is the longest running and most consistent conference in the country and attracts government actors, policymakers, donors, practitioners, researchers and other stakeholders, both local and international.
This year’s Mole XXXIII WASH Conference focuses on Ghana’s Commitment to WASH services delivery as an enabler to achieve the 2030 SDG6 WASH targets. The Mole XXXIII conference is under the theme ‘Ghana’s Commitment to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Connecting System to Bridge Service Delivery Gaps’.
A presentation was made on behalf of the Environmental Services Providers Association, (ESPA) by Dr. Yahaya Yakubu, Partner-AfES Consult Ltd., on ‘Sustaining the Gains in Environmental Sanitation through Sustainable Procurement, Budgeting and Private Sector Participation’.
The presentation highlighted the importance of sustainable procurement, budgeting and public sector participation in the WASH sector. The topic underscored the three (3) areas importance to sustaining and upscaling gains in Environmental Sanitation.
Dr. Yahaya concluded his presentation by stating categorically that: “Sustainable Procurement, Budgeting and Private Sector Participation are key to WASH, Job Creation, Tourism, Security, Climate Change, the Circular Economy and Economic Growth”.
He further pleaded with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, CONIWAS and other stakeholders in the WASH sector to allocate and disburse the money strategically.
“Increase budgetary allocation to the sector and also maintain current public private partnerships with the private sector in environmental sanitation,” he advised policymakers.
In his remarks, Andrew Dari Chiwitey – Member of Parliament for Sawla Tuna Kalba who is also the Deputy Ranking Member for the Works and Housing Committee, encouraged Coniwas Ghana to be the agent of change. He added, “See yourself as the partner of development; tell yourself that you cannot afford to fail the country. We the politicians cannot do it alone, that’s why we keep saying that the president should avail himself for collaboration with the private sector.
“Share with us your input when the budget is read before we go to the floor of parliament to debate, so that we can argue with facts and figures and make a strong case as to how the Sanitation Levy should be disbursed,” he requested of the Coniwas leaders.
