FLASHBACK: Accra is filthy but we will make it the cleanest in West Africa - Regional Minister

Of the many promises made to ensure the issue of filth in Accra is eliminated, one was made by former Greater Accra Minister, Ishmael Ashitey in 2018.

The Regional Minister whilst admitting filth has engulfed the nation's capital city, said, in an interview with Rainbow Radio, that his ministry was making efforts to ensure the city becomes the cleanest city in Africa.

Read the full article as first published by rainbowradionline.com in February 2018 below:

Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Ishmael Ashitey has alluded to the fact that Accra is engulfed in filth.

He was speaking to Kwame Tutu on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM on Thursday, February 1, 2018. He however indicated that efforts were underway to make Accra the cleanest city in West Africa.

He said there’ve been some improvements with regards to waste management in the capital city.

Meanwhile, an integrated master plan is being developed to manage waste and improve sanitation in Accra.

According to him, the project dubbed, the Integrated Urban Environmental Sanitation Master Plan (IUESMP), seeks to harmonise all existing strategies in the sanitation, drainage, and waste management sub-sectors to holistically deal with the sanitation and waste management challenges confronting the national capital.

The $3-million initiative is being funded by the World Bank as part of a Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) project.

The memorandum of understanding for the project was signed between the government and the World Bank in October 2017, with the project expected to be completed in 18 months.

The Minister said former the various assemblies were managing waste but currently, the government has partnered with the private sector in the waste management business.

He said the era of dumping waste at landfill sites should be a thing of the past and the waste recycled for other purposes. He used Zoomlion as an example and a novelty they have introduced in the waste management sector.

The various assemblies he stated have been directed to replicate the example of Zoomlion to help reduce the cost in managing waste in the capital.

‘’Technology is now in place and we must work with technology,’’ he stressed.