The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has reiterated the government’s commitment in strengthening (electronic) e-waste management to address the sanitation situation in the country.
He was hopeful that the necessary policy implementation would curb the menace of waste to create employment as well as ensure good management of dangerous waste in the environment.
Speaking at the e-waste programme close-out press conference yesterday in Accra, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng explained that the government in 2016 passed the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act, Act 917 and Legal Instrument (LI) 2250 to regulate the management of e-waste.
Through this act, he said the government had successfully constructed a technical training centre and health clinic on the Old Fadama scrap yard at Agbogbloshie to train over 400 scrap workers and 700 people from the surrounding markets.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng stated that the first phase which started three years ago would end in a few days and announced that the second phase of the project would kick start in February 2020 to January 2022.
As part of the project, he mentioned that there would be a national holding and recycling centres, adding that “the German government would build the holding centre at Atomic Energy area while we will build the recycling centre.”
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng observed that there would be collectors, transporters, dismantlers who would carry scraps or waste items to the treatment facilities and centres and urged the unemployed youth to take advantage of the opportunity to make a living.
Mr Oliver Boachie, Special Advisor to the Minister, lauded the German government for collaborating with MESTI to help develop the country to meet international standards.
He urged all agencies involved in the project to co-operate and develop a strategic business plan to put the e-waste fund into productive use for the benefit of all.
“The fund will offer incentives for collection, transportation and disposal of electrical waste, and promote public education on the safe disposal of electrical and electronic waste and negative effects of electronic waste,” he said.
Head of E-waste Programme at GIZ Ghana, Mr Markus Spitebart promised the German government’s readiness to help solve the sanitation problem and also create jobs to boost the economy of the country.
He called on the citizenry to improve the sanitary situation of the country and encourage them not to burn electronic waste to pollute the environment, stressing that electrical equipment like phones, laptops, fridges, sensors and televisions should be sent to the appropriate centres for recycling.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU
