Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a private waste management company, has handed over 500 new sanitation trucks to assist Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to improve sanitation within their catchment areas.
The move was aimed at replacing the broken down sanitation trucks and also augment the MMDAs’ fight against the country’s sanitation menaces.
Speaking at an event to hand over the trucks to the MMDAs, Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama commended Zoomlion for joining forces with the Ministry to rid the country of filth.
“There are indeed a number of challenges, but of course, the key one being financing and other areas being capacity with our Assemblies to manage the sanitation program because it is the responsibility of the district assemblies to take care of sanitation that is one of your key responsibility.
“So therefore if sanitation is an issue we will have to point hands at our MMDA`s and it is important that we have a partnership in this arrangement and therefore I commend Zoomlion for partnering MMDA`s to find solutions to the sanitation problem,” she stated.
Mrs. Mahama also charged other corporate organisations to join Zoomlion in the fight against sanitation, calling on them to continually support the nation in its agenda to combat the issue of filth in and around the cities of Ghana.
“Zoomlion is a key player in the field but other private sectors should also take up the challenge and support the work of sanitation in the country. Zoomlion has started and definitely providing the lead role in that. But it’s opened to other private sector companies to be participants,” she emphasized.
She also appealed to the various MMDA`s to make good use of the trucks and ensure its sustainability.
The Executive Chairman of Jospong Group and Chief Executive of Zoomlion, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong said Zoomlion has over the years made sanitation its biggest agenda by employing best practices in dealing with the sanitation menace.
“Our search for local solutions has not blinded us to the global landscape. We have endeavoured to increase our capacity in line with technological advancement and best management practices in Europe, Asia and elsewhere in Africa,” he said.
The distribution of the trucks is expected to create some 300 direct and about 1,000 indirect jobs in the various MMDAs.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Alexander Semordzi
