By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Kumasi, May 9, GNA – The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has intensified actions geared towards strengthening waste management to help improve sanitation and environmental sustainability in the metropolis.
Mr Samuel Pyne, the KMA Chief Executive, who stated this at the Assembly’s meeting in Kumasi, indicated that since the beginning of 2023, the Assembly had been implementing some strategic projects to improve environmental sanitation in the city.
The projects included the Sustainable Urban Solid Waste Management Plan (USWMP), Sustainable Financing for Waste Management Plan (SFWMP), Communication and Enforcement Plan and the Circular Economy Plan.
The Assembly also launched the sanitation management programme dubbed “Keep Kumasi Clean; Let’s Recycle,” as well as implementation of an integrated waste management and collection system within the CBD.
These strategic innovations, according to Mr. Pyne, were under the Holistic Reinforcement for Sustainable Development (HORESD) project, which was being implemented in partnership with the Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta (MANRA) of Spain and the City-County of Praia (CMP) of Cape Verde.
The aim was to promote enhanced public policies and services with a specific focus on “Integrated Management of Urban Solid Waste and Circular Economy.”
It is being financed by the European Union to the tune of EUR 2.5 million, with the KMA providing counterpart funding.
Mr Pyne indicated that, in pursuance of creating a circular economy, the Assembly was training and setting up people who would work informally in the waste sector and especially, people at risk of social exclusion (women, disadvantaged youth and those with special needs) as entrepreneurs.
Furthermore, preparations are also underway to construct small community composting stations and small recycling “eco-stations” within the metropolis.
The KMA Chief Executive called on citizens to collectively assist to maintain order and cleanliness in the metropolis.
He said there were challenges despite the strides made by the Assembly, citing citizens’ attitude to adhering to simple rules and regulations as worrying.
“For instance, the provision of waste containers at strategic points in the CBD through the HORESD project has been undermined by traders and individuals who blatantly discard refuse on the ground.
Additionally, the disregard and non-adherence to traffic rules and regulation by traders and drivers contribute significantly to congestion in the CBD,” he bemoaned.
Regarding temporary structures and kiosks in the metropolis, he cautioned assembly members to desist from granting constituents the right to space to develop such structures.
He directed those members seeking further guidance and clarification on spatial and land use planning matters from the Physical Planning Development.
GNA