Sanitation guards will be redeployed across the country in July

General News of Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-04-24

In July of this year, the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources will redeploy sanitation guards, commonly referred to as "Saman-Saman" in the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA) in order to strengthen the enforcement of sanitation regulations.

Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, announced this initiative on Tuesday during the Meet-the-Press series in Accra.

She added that the fight against unsanitary conditions in the country required correct attitudes and behavior on the part of citizens, which were very important factors in ensuring that "our cities and our big cities are kept clean all the time".

She therefore asked all citizens involved in open defecation to put an immediate end to it and to make sure that they invested in building domestic toilets in order to maintain the cleanliness of the country.

"The call for adequate sanitation is everyone's duty – we need adequate toilets in our homes and offices. Bathrooms should be the first place closest to home and must be clean, conducive to relaxation and deep reflection.

We must all be health conscious and change our attitudes towards the environment, said Ms. Dapaah.

She announced that the ministry was reviewing the 2010 Environmental Sanitation Policy, which provided guidance and vision to the MMDAs to implement sanitation in a more structured and comprehensive manner. overall.

After the review, the policy would help address the many challenges by introducing modernization in the area of ​​sanitation.

"In addition, as part of our efforts to ensure strict compliance with national and local sanitation laws and regulations in Ghana, the Ministry initiated the process of drafting a national sanitation law. complete and consolidated, "she said.

"It will serve as the main reference document for the preparation of local regulations as well as for improving the prosecution of offenders responsible for sanitation".

The minister urged companies to invest in waste treatment, saying it was now lucrative to do so, adding that a partnership with the government to manage the sector would make a significant contribution.

A World Bank water and sanitation study found that poor sanitation facilities cost Ghana $ 290 million a year.

This amount equals $ 12 per person per year in Ghana, which represents 1.6% of the national gross domestic product.

"It makes a lot of economic sense to invest in sanitation, every dollar invested in sanitation pays dividends of five dollars," Ms. Dapaah said.