Private sector should participate in waste management

Accra, March 2, GNA - Mr Philip Acquah, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), on Tuesday expressed concern about the low level of private sector involvement on environmental issues and called on the sector to participate actively in this area. He said the Government had often been at the forefront in formulating and implementing environmental programmes and policies, and that without the participation of the private sector, particularly in waste disposal, the country would not be able to contend with its sanitation problems.

Mr Acquah made the call at a seminar on waste management, organised by the Ministry of Science and Environment in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and Majok Consultancy Limited, a Canadian company that manufactures Nature's Environmental Products (NEP), a cleaning and disinfecting agent for sewerage systems.

The seminar was on the theme: "Finding a lasting solution to waste management in Ghana, a private sector initiative." It showcased chemicals for cleaning and disinfecting liquid waste disposal units. He said the private sector had to work in partnership with the Government in finding solutions to the numerous problems associated with waste management in the country.

Dr Mathew Antwi, Deputy Minister for Environment and Science and Technology, stated that the appropriate way to dealing with waste disposal problem was for Ghanaians to change their attitudes. In a presentation, Mr Paul De Meleco, NEP Project Manager, said the destiny of the society depended on how it treated the environment, and advised Ghanaians to endeavour to protect the environment from filth.