The European Union (EU) is providing some 1.2 million Euros to fund the E-Waste management in Ghana (E-MAGIN Ghana) project over the next four years.
The project which is to be implemented in 8 regions is expected to promote the formalisation of the e-waste management industry by providing legitimate and safe jobs for the youth and all those who handle e-waste.
The project will be implemented by a consortium led by the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in partnership with the Ghana National Clean Production Centre (GNCPC), City Waste Recycling Company Limited in Ghana as well as Adelphi in Germany.
At the launch of the project in Accra, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, in an address read for him by Mrs. Levina Owusu, Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry highlighted the need to promote a healthy environment in Ghana and welcomed the intervention, funded by the EU to support this agenda.
She explained that interventions such as the E-MAGIN Ghana project will go a long way to improve the management of e-waste towards Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) pattern in the country.
“It will also help in the effective implementation of the country’s hazardous and electronic waste control and management act, Act-917 passed in 2016” she added.
She further stated that, the informal sector is noted for the creation of most e-waste products in the environment and that projects such as E-MAGIN Ghana, can turn e-waste in the environment into profitable businesses that people can benefit from.
Mr. Zoltan Agai, Head of Cooperation at the EU, explained that the funding is to support phase two of the Switch Africa Green Project and can help the implementation of Ghana’s legislation on e-waste through training of stakeholders working in the sector.
He mentioned that the EU expects the project to play a vital role in developing the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and also increase capacity building for the stimulation of policy dialogue.
Head of EU Cooperation again pointed out that, communication dissemination of information as well as advocacy will be very crucial to the awareness creation on the e-waste problem in the country. “EU will be monitoring closely the implementation of the project in the various regions” he added.
Meanwhile, Mr-Lambert-Faabeluon, Director of Standards Compliance and Enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) projected that about 1500 jobs are expected to be created for those involved in the electronic waste management value chain in the country, if effective electronic waste management systems are practised.
He mentioned that the informal MSME’s in the waste recycling business, collection and dismantling business, manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors of consumer electronics, technical institutions as well as government agencies among others are some of the targeted groups.
He stressed that value chain assessments, formation and reactivation of associations, capacity building and training of trainers, policy-briefs, re-establishment of collection mechanisms among others will be some of the main activities to be undertaken under the second phase of the project.
Prof. Rosemond Boohene, Coordinator of the E-MAGIN Ghana project, in her address explained that the activities planned within this project are intended to build on earlier progress made in the first phase of the Switch Africa Green project which contributed to developing business models around the concept of a green economy in Ghana.
She added that this project aims to engage various stakeholders including micro, small and medium scale enterprises to conduct a more organised, business-minded and environmentally-friendly management of e-waste in Ghana.
Moreover, she said the project results will help in the operation of the E-Waste Fund set up by the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act (Act 917). “The e-waste sector has the potential to contribute significantly to the economy of Ghana by creating safe jobs for many people, if well organised” she concluded.
