Parliament has approved GHC560.93 million as the budget estimate for the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources for 2021. This allocation is to help the Ministry to implement its programmes and activities for 2021.
Re-engineering of landfill sites at Kpone and Oti is among the major programs of the Ministry to begin this year. Others include rehabilitation of poorly operated landfill facilities; the development of more sustainable state-of-the-art treatment plants for both solid and liquid waste in selected locations across the country.
These will ensure more sanitation facilities to accelerate the elimination of open defecation. Also, treatment and disposal sites for solid and liquid waste will be established in selected parts of the country.
To generate revenue to finance the programmes, the Government of Ghana in the 2021 Budget Statement proposed a -10 pesewa levy, called the Sanitation and Pollution Levy.
After approval of the budget estimate, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Minister of Sanitation said the Sanitation and Pollution levy would enable Government to generate the needed resources to improve urban air quality and combat air pollution.
“There will be a continuous support for the annual maintenance and management of major landfill sites and other waste treatment plants and facilities across the country.
“We would also construct medical waste treatment facilities to prevent the generation of infectious diseases under the Coronavirus Treatment Programme.”
Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Minister of Sanitation
Recruitment of Hygiene Graduates
According to the Committee of Works and Housing, the Ministry has secured financial clearance for the recruitment of the School of Hygiene graduates numbering 1,174.
“It was indicated that these graduates have not been recruited since 2010. Appointment letters have been issued for some while others are going through the process for the issuance of their letters.”
Also, for the first time since their establishment, the three schools of hygiene have seen a major infrastructure development. In Accra and Ho, a new two-storey, nine-classroom block each, are being provided. On the hand, Tamale is also benefiting from the rehabilitation of an existing hostel facility.
Madam Cecilia noted that delivery of water, sanitation, and hygiene services within the country has improved. Ghana is on track to attain the Sustainable Development Goal on water, she added. The goal is to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.
Improvement in Water Access and Quality
According to data from GSS, the Minister said that the number of people with access to at least basic water supply sources has increased from 78% in 2017 to 81% in 2019. Water quality index of river bodies in Ghana has also improved from 51.5% in 2017 to 56% in 2019. The proportion of water bodies with good ambient water quality increased from 56% in 2018 to 57.8% in 2020.
In addition, there has been increment of people with access to improved sanitation (household toilet) from 14% in 2017 to 21% in 2019.
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