Establish licensed plastic buyers scheme

Mr Kafu Kofi Tsikata, Senior Communication Specialist, World Bank Ghana Office, has advocated the establishment of a Nationwide Licensed Plastic Buyers’ scheme.

He said the scheme would enable recognized individuals and organizations to buy the plastics for re-cycling.

Mr Tsikata, speaking at a dialogue session organized by the World Bank said with the establishment of this scheme, it would create employment for the youth.

The session was to premier a documentary and to discuss the challenges on sanitation on the topic: "Fixing the urban mess: the menace of plastics."

The 30-minutes documentary shot from Aflao to Half Assini showcased the tourism potential, good, bad and the ugly beaches in the country.

It shows plastic waste on beaches and some choking the drains.

The documentary also showed the efforts being made to re-cycle some of the waste generated, especially plastics.

"Sanitation is causing a lot of problems in the country and holistic approach is needed to tackle the issues," he said.

He also called for the ban on tin plastic bags in the system used for carrying goods.

Mr Tsikata explained that among the millennium development goals, the country had performed badly in the area of sanitation, adding that the documentary would be used as an advocacy tool on sanitation.

Ms Eva Lokko, a former Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, called for the re-introduction the public health nurses in communities to keep up the awareness creation on the dangers of sanitation.

She said government through the city authorities needed to as a matter of urgency to enforce the by-laws on sanitation to keep the environment clean for a healthy nation.

Mrs Dzifa Abla Gomashie, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, said issues on sanitation should not be handled along political lines.

"We are tired of making everything political in this country, including sanitation," she said.