By Edward Dankwah
Accra, Nov 17, GNA – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has secured 45 new vehicles to enhance its operations across the country.
The vehicles procured with precision are tools designed for compliance, monitoring, and investigations, ensuring that they uphold the highest standards in safeguarding the environment.
Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovations, commissioned the vehicles on behalf of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana.
He said the EPA had evolved as an advisory body to the Government through regulations and coordination of anything regarding the environment to enforcement.
Dr Afriyie said currently, the bill for accommodating new developments in the environmental sector was before the Parliament of Ghana for approval.
“If this bill is passed, what is going to happen is that the powers of the EPA will be mostly enlarged and evolve from advisory through regulation and coordination to more enforcement because environmental issues have become very important,” he added.
He urged the staff of EPA to put the vehicles to good use, stating that having done that, their enforcement mechanisms would come to the fore.
“So, as I said, your enforcement will be backed by legislation, but that does not mean that you should take the law into your own hands,” he stressed.
Professor Kwasi Appeaning Addo, Board Chair of EPA, said in a strategic distribution, the 45 vehicles had found their purposes in every regional office, empowering the teams to execute their responsibilities seamlessly.
He said four area offices, namely Kasoa, Dunkwa-On-Offin, Akim Oda, and Obuasi stood equipped with these vehicles, amplifying their reach and impact in key operational areas.
The Board Chair added that acknowledging the critical importance of Greater Accra West, Amasaman, and the Ashanti Region, they had allocated two vehicles to each of these regional offices.
“This thoughtful distribution ensures that our presence and influence extend to regions where environmental challenges demand our focused attention,”
“As we embark on this journey with our new fleet, let us reinforce our commitment to environmental protection, recognising that these vehicles represent not just mobility, but our collective resolve to create a sustainable and healthy future for generations to come,” he stressed.
GNA