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Parliament approved on Monday in Accra, the sum of GH ¢ 560.93 million for the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources its budget estimate, for the implementation of the sectoral ministry’s programs in 2021.
Some of the main programs proposed by the Ministry to start this year were the reorganization of landfills at Kpone and Oti, the renovation and reconstruction of poorly managed landfills and the construction of more advanced processing plants. sustainable. for solid and liquid waste in a selected location across the country and to build waste recycling and compost plants across the country.
These are expected to provide more sanitation facilities to speed up the elimination of open defecation and also to establish solid and liquid waste treatment and disposal sites in elected regions of the country.
To generate revenue to fund the programs, the government of Ghana, in the 2021 budget statement, proposed a tax of 10 pesewa, known as the sanitation and pollution tax on the purchase of petroleum products.
Speaking to reporters, Parliament, Osu-Accra, after the approval of the budget estimate, Ms. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Minister of Sanitation, said the tax on sanitation and pollution would allow the government to generate the resources necessary to improve the quality of urban air and combat the air. Pollution.
It would support the reengineering of landfills at Kpone and Oti, reorganize and rebuild poorly managed landfill facilities, build more sustainable state-of-the-art treatment plants for solid and liquid waste in a chosen location across the country and for build waste recycling and compost plants across the country, provide more sanitation facilities to speed up the elimination of open defecation and establish solid waste treatment and disposal sites and liquids in elected regions of the country.
“There will be continued support for the annual maintenance and management of major landfills and other factories and waste treatment facilities across the country,” the minister said, adding “we would also build medical waste treatment facilities to prevent the generation of infectious products. diseases, especially as part of the coronavirus treatment program. “
According to a report by the Works and Housing Committee on the 2021 budget estimate of the Ministry of Sanitation and Hygiene Schools of Ghana, the committee said the ministry had obtained financial clearance for the recruitment of graduates of the School of hygiene numbering 1174.
“It was reported that these graduates have not been recruited since 2010 and that in December 2020 letters of appointment have been issued for some while others are going through the process of issuing their letters, ”the report reads.
Also, for the first time since their creation, the three hygiene schools have undergone major infrastructure development. In Accra and Ho, a new block with two floors and nine classrooms each is under construction, while Tamale is benefiting from the rehabilitation of an existing hostel.
Ms. Cecilia noted that the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene services in the country has improved with the creation of the ministry.
“Ghana is on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water, which is to ‘ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all here. 2030, ”she said.
Referring to data from the Ghana Statistical Service, the minister said there was an increase in the number of people with access to at least basic water supply sources from 78% in 2017 to 81% in 2019, according to data from Ghana Statistical Service, improvement of the water quality index of rivers in Ghana from 51.5 in 2017 to 56 in 2019 (fairly good quality) thanks to collaborative efforts with others government agencies and institutions and the increase in the number of people with access to improved sanitation (household toilets) from 14% in 2017 to 21% in 2019 according to data from the Ghana Statistical Service.
The proportion of water bodies with good ambient water quality increased from 56% in 2018 to 57.8% in 2020.
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