The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) has indicated that a minimum of two billion US dollars is required for capital investment to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on sanitation.
The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Ms Cecelia Abena Dapaah, announced this in a speech read on her behalf by her Deputy, Mr Issahaku Chinnia Amidu at the 33rd edition of Mole WASH Conference in Elimina in the Central Region.
The five-day event is being organised by the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in the Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) with support from Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) Sanitation and Water Project UNICEF, Catholic Relief Services, SNV, Plan International Ghana, World Vision Ghana, Global Communities, WaterAid Ghana, Zoomlion Ghana Limited and Environmental Services Providers Association (ESPA).
Others are the World Bank, Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), MSWR, USAID and Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA)
The Mole Conference Series is an annual conference that attracts government actors,’ donors and other relevant stakeholders to deliberate on critical issues affecting the Wash sector.
The conference was named after the Mole Game Reserve, near Damango where the maiden conference was held.
Giving details, she said construction of household toilet facilities was estimated at 1.41 billion US dollars, sanitation services including emptying and treatment of waste disposals has been estimated to cost 103.3 million US dollars, 85.1 million US dollars respectively and 146 million US dollars for schools and healthcare facilities with sanitation facilities.
“Sanitation projects totalling 500 million US dollars have been implemented in Ghana since 2010. About 60 per cent of this investment has mainly focused on non-sewerage sanitation and condominium sewerage. It will therefore take some additional funding to be able to bridge the existing gap,” the minister said.
Referring to the theme “Ghana’s commitment to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: Connection systems to bridge service delivery gaps,”the minister said the theme situated well within the collective goal of achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation for all by 2030.
“The theme is relevant at this time where as a sector, we need to commit more through the service we deliver to the good people of Ghana, especially when we are left with only eight years to the SDGs end line. This requires more efforts towards effective targeting to enable us to understand the very people we are delivering WASH services to,” she noted.
For her, WASH stakeholders needed to focus more attention on comprehensive district wide delivery to meet the set goal on SDG on Sanitation by 2030.
Ms Dapaah regretted that notwithstanding the efforts made by the various Assemblies towards public sensitisation, the habit of street littering had not stopped, though the national and local bye-laws frown on it.
She entreated culprits to desist from that attitude as it impacted negatively on the local economy and the general environment in various ways.
Mr Atta Arhin, Chairman of CONIWAS in his submission reminded the government through the sector ministry to establish the National Sanitation Authority together with the National Sanitation Fund, adding “they are the game changers in Ghana’s environmental sanitation services delivery.”
He thanked all stakeholders for the support the coalition received during the development of the new 2030 strategy.
Maame Akua Gyimaah, a Sanitation Ambassador, encouraged all stakeholders to support and expand the Children’s Sanitation Fair, the School Sanitation Solutions Challenge, and the Child Sanitation Diplomat initiative.
“These are clear innovations that seek to raise a sanitation-conscious future generation. Stakeholders must adapt these concepts at the local level so that more children will be involved. We also do not think that it is out of place to create a session for children in all subsequent Mole WASH Conferences. Even just a session for the children around the conference venue can make an impact,” she opined.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
