Engage in waste management services not waste collection - Minister

Solid waste collection service providers have been advised to invest in their operations to integrate incineration, compost and landfill sites to help them to effectively and efficiently manage waste.

Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing who gave the advice on Thursday expressed surprise that most solid waste collection service providers described themselves as managing waste.

He said that they were rather engaged in waste collection adding that effective waste management system involved engineering methods that helped in proper waste disposal or its reuse.

Mr Mensah said this when a delegation from the Institute of Continuing and Distance Education (ICDE) of the University of Ghana , Legon, paid a courtesy call to inform him of the planned activities for the 64th Annual New Year School.

The one-week event which would open on Monday, January 14, 2013 is aimed at addressing the poor sanitation problem that has become a perennial menace to the society.

It would be on the theme: “The Key to Future Health of Our Nation: Improved Water, Sanitation and Hygiene”.

Dr Michael Tagoe, Senior Lecturer at the ICDE who led the delegation, informed Mr Mensah that the programme provided the platform for various stakeholders to meet and to deliberate on crucial national issues.

He said the upcoming event would address the challenges bordering on inadequate safe drinking water, poor sanitary condition and poor sanitation behavior among the citizenry.

Dr Tagoe said the Ministries of Water Resources, Works and Housing; Local Government and Rural Development; Environment, Science and Technology; Health and Education were collaborating institutions and organizations for the event.

The 64th New Year School promises to include the provision of the platform for the sharing of lessons among political leaders, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, educationists, civil society organizations, NGOs and religious groups on how to create strong institutional collaboration to improve access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.

Earlier on, Mr Rajinder Bhagat, the Indian High Commissioner paid a courtesy call on Mr Mensah in his office in Accra and held bilateral talks on matters of socio-economic interest.

He pledged the support of his Government to Ghana in productive sectors of the economy including agriculture, trade and industry, roll out of scholarship schemes and housing.