Sanitation Authority, Fund to be established — Bawumia
The government has initiated processes towards the establishment of a National Sanitation Authority and a National Sanitation Fund to address the country's sanitation and water challenges.
The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who made this known, said the government was convinced that the establishment of such bodies would be a game-changer in the national water and sanitation drive.
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"We are convinced that those bodies will give our efforts significant focus, attract the requisite human capacity and also mobilise resources for improved sanitation service delivery in Ghana," he said.
Mole conference
Dr Bawumia was addressing participants in a four-day Mole WASH conference at Ho, Volta Region yesterday. It is being attended by stakeholders in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector.
The conference, the 30th in the series, will deliberate on Ghana’s water and sanitation challenges and proffer suggestions on how to address them.
It is on the theme: "30 Years of multi-stakeholder WASH dialogue: Reflections and prospects".
The objective of the conference is also to repurpose civil society’s role in stimulating development and the implementation of actionable policies, plans and programmes for achieving improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene, and working actively in partnership with the government, development partners and the private sector.
Commitment
The Vice-President further said the Akufo-Addo administration was committed to issues of water and sanitation, as evidenced in the creation, for the first time, of a Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.
He added: "3,350 water and sanitation projects are also either ongoing or have been completed under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), popularly known as the One Constituency, One Million Dollar pledge. Majority of these projects are to address the provision of water and toilets across every district in Ghana."
According to Dr Bawumia, “the quality of life we want in our communities has a close connection with how we manage water and sanitation matters. To live in a good society and in a well-managed water, sanitation and hygienic environment is something we should all wish for ourselves and our children”.
Activities
The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah, outlined ongoing measures geared towards addressing the sanitation challenge in the country.
They include the provision of 20,000 waste bins across the country and a collaboration with security agencies to protect water resources.
