Germany Boosts Ghana’s e-Waste Management

A 15 million Euros budget has been approved by the German government to assist the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) to improve sustainable management and disposal of e-waste in the country.

Five million Euros would be used for technical cooperation through German Corporation's Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), while 10 million Euros would be used for financial cooperation through the KfW Development Bank.

In addition, the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia would support the establishment of a health post at Old Fadama for scrap workers through GIZ.

This came to light when MESTI, in collaboration with GIZ, held an inception technical workshop on the programme dubbed, 'Environmentally Sound Disposal and Recycling of E-waste in Ghana' recently in Accra.

Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, stressed the importance of tackling e-waste challenges, adding that working on sustainable solutions for e-waste management gave his outfit the opportunity to pursue the different development goals of the country.

“Sustainable e-waste management will reduce environmental pollution and health risks to the population and as well improve the working conditions of many scrap dealers to enhance the development of recycling industries in the country,” he said.

“This will further provide the much-needed employment opportunities for people making a contribution to the economic growth in the country,” he explained.

Chargé d' Affaires, Bernhard Abels, said that Ghana was fast becoming a beacon in West Africa in e-waste management owing to the passage of the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control Act in 2016.

He added that the German government would do everything possible to support the implementation of the laws through technical and financial cooperation.

The stakeholders revealed challenges they were facing in the sector and made recommendations for the successful implementation of the programme.

Alan Walsch, Country Director of GIZ Ghana, highlighted the programme's multi-stakeholder approach involving national and local government institutions and private companies.

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri