The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources is set to review Ghana’s sanitation policy to align with current trends and best practices.
This announcement was made by the Minister of Sanitation, Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan, when a high-level delegation from the Kenyan Council of Governors paid a courtesy call to her on Thursday, June 13, 2024.
The delegation is in the country under the auspices of the Jospong Group of Companies to understudy the Ghanaian transformative success story in the waste management space and consider ways of replicating the same in Kenya.
The review of the sanitation policy is aimed at addressing the country’s sanitation challenges and improving the overall health and well-being of Ghanaians.
The policy review will take into account recent developments in the sanitation sector, including innovations in waste management, water supply, and hygiene practices.
Hon. Seyram Alhassan emphasized the importance of reviewing the policy to ensure it remains effective and relevant in addressing the country’s sanitation needs.
“This review will help us identify areas for improvement and inform our strategies for addressing sanitation challenges in Ghana,” she said.
The Kenyan delegation, led by the Chairman of the Kenyan Council of Governors, H.E. Ahmed Abdullahi expressed interest in learning from Ghana’s experiences in sanitation and waste management.
The delegation’s visit is part of a knowledge-sharing initiative between the two countries aimed at improving sanitation services in Africa.
Stakeholders in the sanitation sector, including civil society organizations, private sector companies, and academic institutions, will be consulted as part of the review process.
The review of Ghana’s sanitation policy is a significant step towards improving the country’s sanitation services and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
The Hon. Minister commended Jospong Group for its commitment to managing the country’s waste over the years, adding that “we are happy and excited to partner with them and what they do and they’re doing it so well”.
She informed the delegation that, the introduction of the sanitation levy has contributed successfully to sanitation management in the country and Kenya could consider a similar initiative.
The delegation was particularly happy with the level of technology being deployed by Jospong Group in managing the country’s waste.
The delegation also paid a courtesy call to the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, and also visited some of the subsidiaries of the group including OMNIBSIC, UPPR, and the re-engineered Kpone Landfill site.
The delegation is on a five-day mission to study Jospong Group’s waste management systems, following Kenyan President H.E. William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto’s visit to Ghana in April. The mission aims to foster knowledge sharing and collaboration between the two countries, aligning with the theme “Driving Investment and Intra-Africa Trade: The Ghana-Kenya Experience.”
