Help impart know-how in waste management to assemblies

Accra, March 11, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday appealed to Ghana's development partners to impart their know-how on waste management to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. He said sanitation had been the bane on the efficient and effective performance of the assemblies especially in the management of plastic waste.

"Sanitation has been the bane on the performance of the assemblies especially the management of plastic waste. "We want to learn on how to dispose of garbage and other waste, therefore, impart the know-how in the management of waste to the assemblies and the investment should be in re-cycling of waste", he said.

President Kufuor made the call when a delegation from the Netherlands paid a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu. The delegation from Amsterdam Seaport and other private business groups arrived in Accra to explore investment opportunities. The 20-member delegation consisting of 10 private companies would meet Ghanaian business partners during their five-day visit to discuss lucrative areas of investment.

It also included Mayors from various cities in the Netherlands to explore possibilities to establish twin sister-city relationships with Ghanaian cities such as that of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and City of Almere and Sunyani Municipal Assembly and Amsterdam South East. President Kufuor said the relationship between both countries had existed for the past 300 years but since 2001 the relationship had assumed a higher pedestal.

He commended the Netherlands Government for assistance in the improvement and modernisation of facilities at the Tema Harbour that had led to increase in the volume of cargo to some landlocked countries in the West African Sub-Region.

President Kufuor called for more support from the Netherlands in the mass transportation sector to improve the transport sector especially in the rural areas.

Mr Arie van der Wiel, Netherlands Ambassador in Ghana, who led the delegation, said trade missions from the Netherlands had consistently visited Ghana in the past four years to strengthen trade relations. He said Ghana's political stability and its readiness to attract investment had resulted in other business groups expressing interest in exploring the country's investment potentials.

As part of the visit, the delegation visited the Inland Port under construction at Boankra in the Ashanti Region, Takoradi and Tema Ports to have first hand information on their operations.

One of the visiting companies has already submitted a project proposal to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority for a deal towards the rehabilitation of the cargo terminals at the Takoradi Harbour.

Mr Venda Sykora, Managing Director, Amsterdam Port Consultants, said when a deal was clinched, 60 million dollars would be invested in the first phase of the project, which would include the rehabilitation of the existing quays and the manganese facility at the Port.