The Executive Secretary of the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), Ama Ofori Antwi, has proposed a major overhaul of Ghana’s waste management financing system, urging government to take responsibility for collecting sanitation revenue from households and paying service providers directly.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Madam Ofori Antwi argued that the current arrangement, where waste collection companies bill households individually, is not sustainable and requires urgent review.
“We must give free dustbins to all houses. Going forward, we must not allow any contractor to go into people’s homes to take money,” she said.
According to her, government should establish a centralized system for collecting sanitation-related fees and then compensate service providers based on the quality and scope of services delivered.
“The government should go and mobilise the revenue from all the houses, and the government pays the contractor based on the service they provide,” she stated.
Madam Ofori Antwi explained that such a model would not only improve efficiency but also strengthen oversight and accountability within the sector.
“Then the government also puts in regulation. The government regulates them, sets standards and makes sure the work is done properly,” she added.
She stressed that waste management should be approached as an essential public service, with clear standards covering household waste collection, drainage maintenance, recycling and other sanitation activities.
The ESPA Executive Secretary further called for a comprehensive review of the sanitation sector to ensure its long-term sustainability.
“We need to revolutionalise the sector. We need to relook at it and do the right thing to sustain the gains that we have made,” she said.
Madam Ofori Antwi noted that stronger regulation, improved financing mechanisms and better coordination between government and service providers would help address many of the challenges facing the sector.
Her comments come amid growing discussions about sanitation management and calls for reforms to improve waste collection, recycling and environmental cleanliness across the country.
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