Ghanaians urged to support sanitation tax, segregate waste

Management of Sewerage Systems Ghana Ltd (SSGL) has appealed to Ghanaians to endeavour to segregate waste generated at home.

Head of Processing and Engineering at the SSGL, Eric Simon Amofa - Sarkodie made the call when members of the Parliamentary Press Corps toured some waste management facilities under the Jospong Group of Companies.

Speaking at the Lavender Hill located at James Town, which houses the Mudor Sewage Treatment Plant and the Lavender Hill Faecal Treatment Plant, Mr. Amofa-Sarkodie disclosed that the company spent over Ghc 20, 000 monthly to separate solid waste trapped in the liquid waste that is discharged at the facility due to nonsegregation at homes.

The Lavender Hill facility generates by-products such as biogas and solid products used for producing organic manure and charcoal while the water is treated for reuse or flushed into the Korle Lagoon. 

The team also visited a medical waste treatment facility at Teshie Nungua, Zoompak, a partnership between Zoomlion and a Turkish waste company. 

Chief Executive Officer of the facility, Durmus Findkci indicated that the facility is one of its kind in the entire African continent hence the need for government to give it maximum support. 

He appealed to government institute control measures on medical waste management because of its sensitivity as improper collection and disposal of such waste can spark major health disasters in the country. 

"Zoompak is equipped to get rid of medical waste under hygiene conditions and safe for the environment and the people." 

"Ministry of Health must control all the processes of the sector and also support the investors in terms of funding as the cost of operating the facility is currently borne b the investors," he stated. 

Dean of the Parliamentary Press Corps, Simon Agianab appealed to Ghanaians to embrace the 1pesewa ghana cedis levy on petroleum products since it will go a long to help solve the Sanitation challenges confronting the country.

Like the Energy Sector Levy (ESLA), which has become the saviour today, Mr. Agianab urged citizens not to regards the Sanitation levy as a nuisance levy but one that has the potential to change the face of Sanitation in the country if embraced by all.

The levy he noted will provide a dedicated and reliable funding source to support the private sector which hitherto depends on loans for sanitation issues in the country.

These came to light when members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) toured some waste management facilities under the Jospong Group of Companies.

The tour formed part of the learning process to give insight to the press Corps members on challenges of waste management in the country and the mounting cost in the sector.

The government in the 2021 budget statement proposed the imposition of a ten pesewas Sanitation and Pollution Levy (SPL) on fuel prices.