By Emmanuel Gamson
Assakae (W/R), July 26, GNA – The Jospong Group of Companies (JGC) and its partners have commissioned the first ever ultramodern wastewater and medical waste treatment plants at Assakae community in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality of the Western Region.
The Takoradi Wastewater Treatment Plant was constructed by the JGC in collaboration with Pureco, a Hungarian Company, and other partners, with support from the government and funding from EXIM Bank of Hungary at a cost of €20 million.
The Takoradi Medical Waste Treatment Plant was also built by the JGC in collaboration with government and Ecosteryl, a Belgian organization.
The Wastewater Treatment Plant has the capacity to treat 1000 cubic metres of liquid waste daily, while the Medical Waste Treatment Plant, which is equipped with two state-of-the-art microwave treatment equipment, has the capacity to handle an average of 5,000 kilograms of hazardous waste daily.
The Takoradi Medical Waste Treatment facility formed part of a broader initiative being undertaken by the Jospong Group of Companies in collaboration with the government to establish 14 centralized medical waste treatment facilities across the country.
The Plant would collect and treat hazardous healthcare waste components, including used syringes, blood-stained materials, pathological waste, COVID-19 waste and waste from vaccination exercises.
It is expected to serve all healthcare facilities within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and its environs, and the Region in general.
Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, the Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies, speaking at a ceremony to commission the Plants, expressed gratitude to the government and other partners for their efforts and commitment in bringing the projects to fruition.
He said the Wastewater Treatment Plant would decrease the level of contamination in the ground and surface waters, while promoting good hygienic conditions among residents in the Region.
He noted that the Takoradi Medical Waste Treatment Plant would also play a crucial role in addressing the proper management and treatment of hazardous healthcare waste in the Region and by extension, Ghana.
Dr Agyepong indicated that the Treatment Plants would provide about 400 direct and indirect job opportunities for the youth in the Western Region.
Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Western Regional Minister, commended Dr Agyepong and his partners for their dedication and commitment in ensuring sustainability in the environmental and sanitation sector in the country, while thanking the Hungarian government for their support in constructing the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
He noted that the construction of the plants was in line with government’s resolve to create an enabling environment to for the government to forge partnerships with the private sector to bridge the infrastructure gap in the sanitation sector in the country.
According to him, the plants would significantly improve upon the overall environmental condition and decrease the health hazards caused by improper sewage in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.
“These plants will boost government’s interventions in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) three, six, nine and 11 in the areas of improved sanitation, job creation, and building sustainable, resilient and safe cities,” Mr Darko-Mensah said.
Mr Balint Horvath, Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pureco, said the Takoradi Wastewater Treatment Plant was a testament to a fruitful collaboration with his outfit, Jospong Group of Companies, and other partners, saying; “It is a profound honour for us and our Ghanaian partner to contribute value to lives of the remarkable people of Takoradi and its surroundings.
We see this project as merely the inception of a long-term and fruitful Ghanaian-Hungarian collaboration in the realm of water management.”
He said the facility would address the challenges of managing collected septic water in a self-sufficient manner within the region.
Mr Tristan Azbej, State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Hungary, said the construction of the Wastewater Treatment Plant was an achievement based on professional commitment between Hungary and Ghana.
Mr Kojo Acquah, Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Chief Executive, thanked the JGC and its partners for the initiative and said it would bring significant socio-economic benefits to the people in the Municipality.
GNA