Regulatory institutions to review existing standards

Regulatory Institutions would with effect from next year embark on a review of existing standards and rules, publish and undertake monitoring visits to ensure compliance by service providers in the country.

The regulatory institutions include the factory inspectorate, town and country planning, birth and death registry, tourism authority, standard authority, food and drugs authority and health inspectorate departments of district assemblies.

“They will be supported to strengthen their capacity to undertake these activities. We believe that Ghanaians should be treated with respect and receive the quality of services that they deserve and pay for,” Mr Seth Terkper, Finance Minister said this in an address to Parliament on Wednesday.

Presenting the 2015 Budget Statement on the theme: “Transformational Agenda: Securing the Bright Medium term prospects of the Economy,” Mr Terkper noted that one of the significant issues discussed in Senchi was the recognition that the country has experienced a weakening of its regulatory institutions, which has led to a sense of helplessness in certain key sectors of our economy.

“At Senchi, the consensus was that, these regulatory institutions should be strengthened to deliver their core mandate of enforcing standards in service delivery,” he added.

On Sanitation and Waste Management, the Sector Minister said over the medium term, government would also encourage MMDAs to partner the private sector to deliver compost and recycling plants in some regions.

He noted that development and operation of compost and recycling plants present an efficient and effective way of managing waste for the future.

“Compost and recycling plants offer MMDAs a feasible and cost effective alternative to landfilling. Solid waste helps meet the growing demand for organic fertilizer and contribute to saving the environment by an efficient method of disposing municipal solid waste.

“Compost and recycling plants also package and process recyclable products like plastic, pellets and scrap metal for industries,” he added.