The Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) has sounded the alarm on the impending collapse of Ghana's waste management system, warning that immediate government intervention is necessary to avoid a national sanitation and public health emergency.
If immediate government attention and intervention are not provided, these compounded challenges could cripple Ghana’s waste management system, reversing years of progress made in keeping our cities clean and protecting public health and the environment," Madam Ama Ofori Antwi, Executive Secretary of ESPA, stated.
According to ESPA, the waste management sector is faced with an alarming state of operational and financial distress, with service providers struggling to stay afloat due to unprofitable and unfair fee rates fixed by Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs). The situation has been further compounded by the lack of access to functional treatment and disposal sites, many of which are in deteriorated condition due to poor maintenance.
ESPA has given the government a November 7, 2025, deadline to settle all pending payments, failing which service providers may be forced to suspend operations nationwide. This move could trigger a national sanitation and health emergency, leading to the outbreak of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and malaria.
The association is calling on the government to take urgent action to address the crisis. "We urge the Ministry of Finance to expedite the release of pending payments to our members by the stipulated time," Madam Ofori Antwi emphasized.
ESPA is also seeking a review of the Sanitation and Pollution Levy policy to provide a dedicated fund for waste management infrastructure. Additionally, the association is calling for a review of the fixed cost recovery rates paid to waste collectors, transporters, and transfer station operators to ensure economic sustainability.
The shutdown would have severe consequences, including disrupting waste collection services, threatening thousands of jobs, and reversing Ghana’s hard-won progress in sanitation and environmental protection. ESPA is urging the government to act decisively to rescue the sector from collapse and safeguard public health, the environment, and Ghana's waste management infrastructure.
We respectfully seek government intervention with the issues mentioned above. ESPA regrets to caution that several landfill and treatment facilities across the country may face imminent shutdown," Madam Ofori Antwi emphasized, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Comments