Let's reprocess our waste to create more Jobs to reduce unemployment - Sekondi Takoradi Mayor

The Mayor of Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Honorable Abdul Mumin Issah has appealed to the stakeholders in the sanitation sector to reprocess the waste generated across the country.

Honourable Abdul Mumin made this appeal when the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development visited a landfill site at Essipong in the Sekondi district.

He told that the reprocessing of waste materials in Ghana is a great opportunity to reduce waste in the country and also create job opportunities for Ghanaians hence the need for the government to wake up and rekindle the sanitation sector.

"We do not think the landfill site is anything that we can live with any longer. We need to move to the tertiary recycling process whereby we can segregate all our refuse and be able to make products out of this waste because as I've always said, waste is money but it looks as if we are burying the money. When we are able to process our waste, I believe we can create a lot of jobs and stuff for our people," he said.

Honourable Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuije, ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development also revealed to Soireenews that it is time for the central government to decentralize the payment of the services rendered by the contractors or factor it into the district assemblies common fund so that it can go to the assemblies for the payment to be made without any hesitation.

He stated that the sanitation levy will help the assemblies to resolve with the management of the landfill sites, urging that government must increase the amount he pays to the Waste Management companies.

"Waste Management is not just about Zoomlion, the service providers are many and anyone willing to help will be sponsored by the government. They (Zoomlion) would have preferred other competitors in the business to lessen the waste in the country because there are other jurisdictions out of their reach.

"One worrying thing is that, after this project is complete, people will have to travel a lot of miles to sell a ton of waste for 30 cedis which is not fair. How much is a gallon of petrol compared to the miles these drivers covers? This is the reason why lots of service providers have parked their cars and quit the business. Universally, the agreed amount for a ton is 30-35 euros and compared to others, it worse.

"What needs to be done in the second phase is to negotiate for an increment of ton packages for service providers to motivate them on the job which will also help lessen the refuse burden from the MMDCE's," Honourable Nii Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuije voiced.

The General manager for Waste Management, Mr Peter Dagadu promise the projects would be completed soon.

"The project is 41 per cent completed. by the end of July, this particular integrated and recycling and compost plant will be done."