President John Dramani Mahama has acknowledged that Ghana’s current sanitation and waste management system is underperforming, attributing the failure to excessive centralisation.
Speaking at an orientation and training programme for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, the President emphasised the need for local authorities to take full responsibility for sanitation services in their respective jurisdictions.
According to him, under his administration’s Reset Agenda, sanitation will be a major priority.
“Now let’s be clear about sanitation services. We pledged to the Ghanaian people that we would implement a Reset Agenda, didn’t we? This agenda applies to every facet of national life, including sanitation and waste management,” the President stated.
“Our current waste management model is not working, because it has become highly centralised. MMDAs have largely not been involved in the procurement of waste management equipment and accessories.”
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President Mahama revealed that new guidelines would soon be issued to MMDAs to guide the transparent and competitive selection of sanitation service providers.
“They have also felt that supervision of sanitation workers and cleaners is not a part of their responsibility. We must therefore implement a more effective model that transfers full responsibility for waste management and sanitation to MMDAs.”
He explained that 10% of the District Assemblies Common Fund has been earmarked for sanitation, and additional support will come from the Communication Service Levy, currently administered by the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), which will be decentralised to the districts.
“You will receive guidelines for transparently selecting your sanitation service providers through a competitive process. And listen to this one – you will be fully responsible for the process, and also fully responsible for the outcome,” he added.
President Mahama’s remarks align with his broader push for decentralisation and local accountability as key drivers of improved service delivery under the Reset Agenda.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
