The Eastern Regional Minister, Hon. Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, has sounded the alarm over a critical gap in sanitation law enforcement across the region amidst growing sanitation crisis fueled by rapid urbanization.
Out of 33 Municipal and District Assemblies, only 20 have prosecutors to enforce sanitation by-laws, and 16 are yet to develop Environmental Sanitation Action Plans.
Speaking at the Regional Coordinating Council meeting, the Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey said these assemblies currently lack the legal support needed to enforce sanitation by-laws.
The region is also challenged by a severe human resource deficit; there are only four hundred and fifty-two (452) Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) serving the entire population, resulting in an average ratio of 1 EHO to 6,778 residents, which is far below the optimal standard for effective public health and sanitation supervision.
Additionally, the Regional Minister expressed worry that most final disposal sites for the management of waste are full.
The Minister stressed that this deficit is contributing to the region’s growing sanitation challenges, worsened by rapid urbanization and increasing pressure on waste management facilities.
She challenged municipal and District Chief Executives in the region to take up the challenge of establishing more engineering landfill sites.
On revenue performance, the minister said, a mid-year review revealed that the Assemblies collected only 39 percent of targeted revenues.
Seven assemblies contributed half of the total collections, while 25 fell below 50 percent performance.
“A mid-year review of the Budgets of the Assemblies for 2025 shows a total collection of Ghc30,892,582.23 as against a total budget of Ghc79,103,053.30 representing thirty-nine-point zero five percent (39.05%) collection of revenue as of June, 2025. It will interest you to know that out of this total collection, only seven Assemblies namely: Birim North, New Juaben South, Nsawam Adoagyir, Kwahu West, Akuapem North, Atiwa West and Birim Central contributed fifty percent (50%) of the total revenues mobilized (Ghc15,151,064.24) leaving as many as twenty-six M/DAs contributing to the rest (Ghc15,741,517.99)” The Minister stated.
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She added that, “By way of percentage performance against budgets of each Assembly, the top five performing Assemblies are Birim South, Atiwa West, Denkyembour, Akuapem North and West Akim whilst the five low performing Assemblies are Birim Central, Lower Manya Krobo, Asuogyaman, Kwahu South and Yilo Krobo in that order. In all, twenty-five Districts recorded below fifty percentage (50%) collection”.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
