President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated his administration’s commitment to continue partnering with the private sector to improve sanitation in the country.
He said the disposal of solid waste and establishment of waste treatment facilities required huge investment, stressing that government alone cannot shoulder this responsibility.
President Akufo-Addo made the statement when he commissioned the second phase of the €20 million Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP) yesterday at Adjen Kotoku in the Greater Accra Region.
He particularly commended the Jospong Group of Companies for its “relentless” efforts to support government to make Ghana the cleanest country in Africa.
The second phase of the ACARP, which adds 800-tons line to the existing 600-ton facility, will provide metropolitan municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) within Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), a viable and cost-effective alternative to dumpsites.
It will also increase the plant’s capacity to bridge the existing gap of untreated solid waste within GAMA.
“It is for this reason that Jospong Group and Partners, with support from Government, embarked on expanding the existing facility from six hundred (600) tonnes per day to two thousand (2,000) tonnes per day,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Phase II of the plant is well-equipped with modern teaching and learning facilities, as well as ultra-modern laboratories for training and research into modern effective processing and recycling technologies.
The completion of the facility, according to the President, will bring immense benefits to manage effectively and efficiently the increased solid waste in a more environmentally-friendly and sustainable manner.
Historically, the disposal of solid waste has remained a challenge, especially in the urban areas in this country, creating the numerous sanitation challenges confronting the country.
Elsewhere, integrated waste management has been adopted as one critical intervention in the management of municipal solid waste.
However, President Akufo-Addo noted that the establishment of an efficient integrated waste management facility requires huge financial outlay, and, with the competing needs of other sectors of the economy on government budget, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Government alone to shoulder this responsibility.
“It is for this reason that, on assumption of office, my government made a commitment to address this menace to transform Ghana to be one of the cleanest countries in Africa.
“In this regard, Government has taken the requisite steps to create the enabling environment and framework for the private sector to partner government in find lasting solutions to this herculean challenge.
“It is important also to note that, as a result of the huge capital requirement to establish infrastructure for the management of solid waste, most private sector players have been reluctant to enter into this space. I am glad and fortunate that Jospong Group and Partners have entered this space to partner Government to assist us in addressing the sanitation situation”, President Akufo-Added.
Other benefits
Other benefits to be derived from the facility, the President said, include the production of organic compost for horticultural and agronomical purposes to boost agricultural production and the Programme for Planting for Foods and Jobs.
He said the plant will also create job opportunities for some 300 persons in various capacities on full and part-time basis, which is one of the key priorities of government, and will translate into an improved standard of living for these workers and their families.
As co-Chair of the Group of Eminent Advocates for the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, President Akufo-Addo noted that “it is heart-warming to note that the execution of this project will help realise some of the targets under SDG 6, which demands that we provide clean water and sanitation for all”.
He re-assured that Government will continue to create the enabling environment for the private sector to thrive, and will continue to collaborate with the private sector in the provision of infrastructure to accelerate the socio-economic development of the country.
In furtherance of this, the President said that his government is collaborating with Jospong Group of Companies and Partners to implement the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plants in all the 16 regions of the country, to help address the prevailing sanitation challenges.
President Akufo-Addo also revealed that Government, in the future, will collaborate further with the private sector to provide sanitation infrastructure for production of refuse derived fuel in commercial quantities; medical waste processing; waste to energy facility; industrial waste processing; and e-waste processing.
Jospong Group Executive Chairman
The Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, disclosed that the project was made possible with the support of their partners, Lubo Recycling Systems of The Netherlands.
He disclosed that the expanded ultra-modern facility will add 1,400 tonnage to its existing capacity of 600 tonnes of solid waste treatment, adding that this will further bring the total plant capacity to 2,000 tonnes.
“Additional eight (8) equipment are being manufactured by Lubo Bollegraaf Group for the Integrated Recycling and Composting Plants (IRECOP) in Ho, Takoradi, Tamale, and Techiman among others,” he revealed.
It will help meet the growing demand for organic compost for soil enhancement.
It will also provide sustainable material and energy recovery solutions to the high or increasing levels of recyclables in our Municipal Solid Waste processing, he further added.
According to him, the newly expanded plant will have other new features including sorting, composting and plastic recycling to the existing structure.
Among other benefits of the project, he said, included providing sustainable material and energy recovery solutions to the high or increasing levels of recyclables in our municipal solid waste.
The plant which started with a workforce of 150 will be adding an additional 200 more.
Dr Siaw Agyepong, therefore used the opportunity to express appreciation to the Ministers of Sanitation and Water Resources, Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Greater Accra Region Henry Quartey, and Local Government and Rural Development Mr Dan Botwe.
He also commended his partners, Members of Parliament (MPs) in the various Parliamentary Select Committees under his scope of operations and Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) among others
