In a collaborative move towards achieving a cleaner, healthier Ghana, the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) has assured the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) of its unwavering commitment to support the upcoming National Sanitation Day scheduled for April 5, 2025.
During a courtesy call on the Minister, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, the leadership of ESPA expressed their readiness to work closely with the Ministry to ensure the nationwide sanitation initiative becomes a sustained and impactful tradition. The engagement highlighted the critical role of private sector actors in complementing government’s efforts to promote environmental cleanliness and public health.
Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, visibly pleased with the Association’s show of commitment, described the meeting as a timely intervention. “Your readiness to support the National Sanitation Day speaks volumes about the potential of strong public-private partnerships. We believe this collaboration can help reignite civic consciousness and collective responsibility around sanitation,” he remarked.
The discussions explored strategic ways ESPA can leverage its nationwide operational network to mobilize resources, personnel, and logistics towards the success of the initiative. With decades of hands-on experience in waste management, ESPA’s technical expertise and reach place it in a unique position to drive efficiency in the execution of sanitation campaigns.
The Association also used the occasion to propose broader frameworks that would enhance the sanitation sector’s overall efficiency, including policy recommendations aimed at improving the operating environment for service providers. However, rather than focusing on sectoral challenges, the emphasis remained on how government and private players can work together to improve sanitation infrastructure, create jobs, and elevate public health outcomes across the country.
In particular, ESPA called on government to consider incentivizing investment in waste management logistics and technology by classifying sanitation vehicles as special-purpose equipment, thus aligning with provisions in the Harmonized System and Customs Tariff Schedules. They noted that granting tax waivers and reviewing service tariffs could make sanitation services more sustainable and attractive to investors.
Drawing inspiration from President John Dramani Mahama’s renewed social contract particularly his pledge to review taxes on vehicles and equipment for industrial use, ESPA appealed for similar considerations for sanitation service vehicles. The Association believes that such interventions will further energize the sector and drive national development outcomes in sanitation and hygiene.
“Environmental sanitation is not just about clean streets. It’s about economic growth, health, tourism, and the dignity of our people,” the Association emphasized.
The Ministry and ESPA both agreed on the need to sustain public engagement and education on sanitation through strategic communication, community participation, and consistent enforcement of sanitation by-laws. As the nation prepares for the upcoming National Sanitation Day, the partnership between government and ESPA signals a renewed sense of shared purpose.
Hon. Ibrahim reiterated the Ministry’s openness to continuous engagement with ESPA and other stakeholders. “This is how we win, when we all take responsibility. The National Sanitation Day must be more than an event; it should become a movement that every Ghanaian proudly owns,” he said.
Source: Matilda Tettey /Darling Maame Efua Cann
(Public Relations Unit MLGDRD)