Coalition of NGOs in Waste Management WORLD EARTH DAY

URGENT NEED FOR NATIONAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION ISSUES IN GHANA

In March this year, the Coalition of NGOs in Waste Management and the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, organized a national forum on Environmental Sanitation. At the forum, various opinions were expressed as to the way forward to proper management of waste in the country which has assumed monumental levels.

As the world celebrates EARTH DAY, the Coalition of NGOs in Waste Management wishes to reiterate its earlier call on government to as a matter of urgency, set up a regulatory body that will be responsible to promote, coordinate, oversee and monitor all issues relating to sanitation and waste management in the country. Such a body will be non partisan and shall draw its mandate from Parliament.

The Coalition urges government to establish sanitation courts to deal with all cases relating to improper handling of waste, indiscriminate waste disposal, unkempt surroundings, with sanctions applied on offenders.

The Coalition further urges government to institute special sanitation awards annually as incentives to promote good community sanitation practices.

It calls for a comprehensive programme on education and awareness creation with the view to sensitizing all segments of society on the proper handling of waste and sanitation issues.

It further calls for agencies charged with supervision and monitoring of waste management to be resourced to make them effective.

The Coalition of NGOs in Waste Management calls on all Civil Society groups, the private sector and all persons living in Ghana to support government by not littering and by participating in all clean up exercises in communities and public places. It urges the private sector to invest in the recycling business to rid the nation of filth and by so doing creating jobs especially for the youth as well.

The Coalition proposes the imposition of 1% VAT levy on all goods and services by government to help finance waste management and environmental sanitation in the country.

It also calls for comprehensive policy reforms on environmental waste management practices to attain set targets in programme objectives.

Issued by:
COALITION OF NGOs IN WASTE MANAGEMENT
ACCRA
APRIL 22, 2009
Joshua Awuku-Apawn
President