The attention of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) has been drawn to a publication by My Publisher 24, an online news portal on the headline above. The news portal attributed the information in the publication to Former President H.E. John Dramani Mahama.

The Ministry hereby states with no equivocation, that no such amount from the World Bank has been allocated to the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources to desilt major drains in Accra, under the GARID Project. We would like to present the facts to Ghanaians and hope to lay the matter to rest.

Under the Greater Accra Resilient Integrated Development (GARID) Project, there are three (3) Ministries that handle allocated components. The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources is in charge of Component 2, which deals with Solid Waste Management Capacity Improvements, aimed at reducing the amount of solid waste flowing into the primary Odaw channel.

The whole allocation for Component 2 is $ 42.2 million and the Ministry has only spent $5.1million. However the $ 150 million mentioned in the publication, is the additional financing for the whole GARID Project and not for Component 2 which the MSWR is handling.

The requirements contained in Component 2 under the GARID Project are in four sub-components as follows:

• Community-based solid waste management interventions and community campaign
• Waste transfer stations, materials recovery facility, and center of excellence for solid waste management
• Capping of old dump sites, and
• Extending final disposal capacity for the Greater Accra Region

The Ministry supported 17 Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies in Accra to improve their operational capacity, under the first sub-component mentioned above, with 17 Compaction trucks, 55 Motorbicylces for monitoring and reducing littering,

Motorised sprayers for disinfestation of sanitary sites, markets and drains, and Various Cleaning and cleansing tools such as wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes and personal protective equipment.

Currently, a basin-wide removal of waste hotspots or what is also referred to as  tipping points into the Odaw river is ongoing (refuse evacuation for large volumes of waste uncollected at undesignated sites and along the Odaw river channel). There are some completed contracts whilst some are on-going mainly for Litter prevention measures, Detailed Engineering Designs (DED), and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).

The information about the Ministry’s role on the GARID Project is available and the Ministry is ready to assist any individual or group with all the information and details about the GARID Project as they may require.

The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) in collaboration with USAID and World Vision Ghana have organized the Second Baobab District WASH Awards 2024 in Accra.

This year’s awards which was on the theme: ‘Defining the path for water, sanitation and hygiene as a national development priority’, seeks to motivate the Assemblies to do their best in the WASH service deliveries to the people.

The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan, in her keynote address, commended the USAID, World Vision Ghana and the Global Community for such laudable initiative.

The Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly in the Northern Region was adjudged the overall best out of 30 MMDAs from six regions in the Oti and Northern Regions.

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The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan, has launched the Revised National Water at Kempinski Hotel in Accra.

In her keynote address, the Minister mentioned that the revised National Water Policy recognizes access to water as a basic human right and a resource, which is critical for achieving equitable socio-economic development and the main aim of the policy is to attain universal access to water services with current global focus in the WASH Sector.

Hon. Seyram Alhassan added “access to safe, affordable drinking water is a basic human right and a resource critical for achieving equitable socio- economic development in Ghana”.

The policy is a renewal of Government’s commitment to sustainable utilisation of Ghana’s water resources, equitable access to water supply, and the protection and preservation of water resources for the present and future generations, and this is inspired by the principles of ‘leaving no one behind’.

The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources is implementing the Sustainable Faecal Sludge Management (SFSM) project with support from the African Water Facility (AWF) of the African Development Bank (AfDB), The project seeks to achieve improved health and quality of life of the urban dwellers in un-sewered areas of Ghana through increased access to sustainable and inclusive faecal sludge management (FSM) infrastructure and services in Twelve (12) urban centres. The Ministry in collaboration with City Wide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) TA Hub organized a stakeholder sensitization workshop on Friday 21st June to disseminate the findings of the SFSM project with the overall goal of sensitizing stakeholders on the SFSM project, review lessons learnt towards a national investment forum to advocate for the implementation of the project. The workshop was graced by representatives from African Development Bank, reps from TA Hub, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Finance, Office of the Head of Local Government Service, and staff of the Ministry. TA Hub awarded City Wide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) Champions (staff of the Ministry) for their dedication and support for mainstream CWIS into the SFSM project. The awarded CWIS champions are the Chief Director-Noah Tumfo, Mr Sampson Akwettey- Director Environmental Health and Sanitation, Mr Kweku Quansah-Deputy Director.

The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan has visited the Kpong and Weija Water Treatment Plants yesterday, to acquaint herself with the operations at the two sites.

Significant concerns raised include, the need for funding to support the expansion of the plants, walling of the facilities to stop encroachment and the impact of sand wining activities.

The Sector Minister said she is committed to finding a lasting solution to the issue raised.

The Minister Designate of the Ministry Of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan, has handed over Waste Management Equipment to beneficiary Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies (MMAs) under the Greater Accra Sustainable Sanitation and Livelihood Improvement Project (GASSLIP) and also three Mini Buses to the Three Schools of Hygiene in Ghana.

Greater Accra Sustainable Sanitation and Livelihood Improvement Project (GASSLIP) is dedicated to enhancing access to sustainable and climate-resilient sanitation and hygiene facilities, along with improving the livelihoods of low-income residents in urban and peri-urban areas of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA). The initiative also aims to boost the capacity of both public and private sectors in delivering and managing sanitation infrastructure and services.

The Project is funded by a $48.85 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and supplemented by an in-kind contribution of $5.01 million from the Government of Ghana, the project has successfully installed 5,174 household toilets across GAMA. Additionally, it has completed the construction of 30 out of the planned 60 sanitation facilities.

Earlier contributions to sanitation efforts include, the delivery of WASH facilities to basic and secondary schools, 24 motorized tricycles, 30 skips, and 1,000 waste bins to beneficiary assemblies. Additionally, laboratory and office equipment have been provided to the Schools of Hygiene. This comprehensive support aims to bolster the assemblies’ ability to maintain clean streets and drains, ultimately ensuring the safety and well-being of the citizenry.

The logistics provided to the Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies (MMAs) are valued at $7.1 million, while those for the Schools of Hygiene amount to $225,000. When fully utilized, the new tricycles, waste containers, and skip trucks are expected to handle about 1,215 cubic meters (approximately 700 tons) of solid waste per day, significantly enhancing waste collection in Accra and its surrounding areas.

The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Dr. Freda Akosua Prempeh has commissioned the GhC10.517.852 million Water supply Project constructed by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) for the people in the Mim Community.

In her keynote address, she said “the focus of government is to ensure that all regions across the country are provided with adequate, safe, affordable and reliable basic water services including the practice of safe Sanitation and hygiene by the year 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goal Six (SDG 6)”.

Hon. Freda Prempeh further stated the scope of the project, which consisted of mechanisation of two boreholes with transmission line of 550meters, construction of pump house and solar farm as well as the laying of 19, 300meter distribution pipe network and the installation of pipe fittings.

Currently the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) project has improved the supply of safe water to a total population of 234, 411 in Four Hundred and Twenty four (434) Communities in five (5) Districts namely Central Tongu, North Tongu, Ho West, Adaklu and Agortime Ziope in the Volta Region.

The Minister was accompanied by the Ahafo Regional Minister, the Chief Executive Officer of CWSA, representative of the Omanhene of Mim and the Ag. Director Water at Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR).