Government commends Jospong Group, others for sustained investments in sanitation

Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (MP), and Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) on Monday extended the government’s special recognition to the Jospong Group of Companies for its sustained investments in sanitation and waste management infrastructure throughout Ghana.

“Through significant investments in recycling plants, composting facilities, treatment systems and integrated waste management solutions, the Jospong Group has demonstrated confidence in Ghana’s sanitation sector and contributed immensely to its modernisation.

“Government fully appreciates the efforts being made by all actors across the value chain. The contribution of waste service providers to national development often receives less recognition than it deserves.

“Long before most citizens begin their daily activities, sanitation workers, truck operators, Borla taxi and tricycle operators, and landfill managers and supervisors are already at work protecting public health and preserving the dignity and beauty of our cities,” Mr Ibrahim stated.

Mr Ibrahim stated this at a high-level stakeholder dialogue on landfill and waste management in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area on the theme “strengthening final disposal site operations and sustainable solid waste management infrastructure in the Greater Accra Region."

The MLGCRA organised it in collaboration with the Jospong Group of Companies, and ESPA was attended by 26 of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region.

Others included government officials, ESPA members, chief executives, and representatives of waste management companies; waste landfills, Borla taxis, and tricycle associations; officials of the environmental protection authority and Ministry of Finance; NGOs, volunteer groups, and community-based organisations; sanitation experts; private sector operators; and stakeholders in the sector.

“Recognition is equally due to all the hardworking ESPA members, landfill operators, Borla Taxi and Tricycle operators, private contractors, environmental NGOs, community volunteer groups, youth organisations and numerous small-scale service providers whose daily contributions continue to support environmental cleanliness across our numerous cities and towns.

“The work of these stakeholders forms the backbone of service delivery in many communities in Ghana,” Mr Ibrahim stated.

He noted that one of the key questions discussed during the dialogue was how the Greater Accra Metro Area can sustainably manage the increasing quantities of solid waste being generated, adding the answer cannot lie in a single intervention, nor can responsibility rest with one institution.

“A sustainable solution requires coordinated action involving central government, local government authorities, private investors, development partners, traditional authorities, communities and citizens alike.

“From the government's perspective, the immediate priority is to help in maintaining existing disposal facilities and improve operational efficiency at current sites,” the minister stated.

Mr Ibrahim said addressing issues relating to site management, equipment availability, access roads, especially during the onset of the rains, and operational funding.

He said beyond these immediate interventions lies the medium-term agenda of expanding infrastructure capacity.

“Population growth projections clearly indicate that Greater Accra Metro Area will require additional disposal and waste treatment infrastructure in the coming years. Strategic planning for future facilities cannot begin when existing sites are already reaching critical capacity. Planning must start now,” the MLGCRA Minister stressed.

He noted that another important issue relates to financing, adding, 'No waste management system can be sustainable if service providers are unable to recover operational costs or access long-term investment capital.

“Discussions around innovative financing arrangements, public-private partnerships, blended financing mechanisms and sustainable cost-recovery systems, therefore, deserve serious attention.”

He emphasises that the ministry will continue engaging with the Ministry of Finance and relevant stakeholders on practical financing solutions capable of supporting critical sanitation infrastructure and operation and maintenance.

Mr Ibrahim noted that equally important is the institutional dimension of solid waste management and acknowledged that the roles of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, regulatory agencies, private operators and community stakeholders must be clearly aligned.

“Duplication of responsibilities creates inefficiencies, while gaps in coordination often slow implementation. Effective collaboration, regular information sharing and stronger accountability mechanisms will be essential if agreed outcomes are to translate into measurable results,” he stated.

Dr Joseph Siaw-Agyepong, Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, sounded the alarm on Ghana's and Africa’s over-reliance on landfills, arguing that the model is “outdated” and economically unsustainable and has repeatedly failed.

Dr Siaw Agyepong, who is the President of the Environmental Service Providers Association, stated in a presentation that landfills are dead ends, stressing that “landfilling represents a lost economic opportunity. Ghana’s waste crisis can be turned into an industrial opportunity—if the country is willing to abandon the outdated landfill model.

He recounted that all 17 landfills constructed across the country with support from international partners reached capacity within a decade or less and emphasised a paradigm shift to prioritise collection, transfer stations, recycling, and composting, with landfills as a last resort.

Dr Siaw Agyepong stressed that although international benchmarks recommend household waste collection fees between $15 and $20 in lower-middle-income countries, operators in Ghana struggle with low recovery rates.

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