Accra, April 03, GNA- The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), Mr Ahmed Ibrahim has hailed Zoomlion Ghana Limited for the unparalleled sanitation infrastructure in West Africa amidst a strategic collaboration to tackle Ghana’s waste management crisis, particularly plastic.
The Minister speaking to the media in Accra, underscored the indispensability of Zoomlion’s cutting-edge facilities, which positioned Ghana as a regional leader in sustainable waste solutions.
“The kind of sanitation infrastructure that Zoomlion has invested – both in municipal solid, liquid waste and robustness of the recycling waste management plants is so unparalleled,” he noted.
Mr Ahmed commended Zoomlion for it’s nationwide network of modern recycling plants, faecal waste management systems, and sewage-to-resource technologies, which converted waste into compost and charcoal.
These facilities, he noted, aligned with Ghana’s 2016 ban on ocean dumping of faecal waste, a policy enacted under former President John Dramani Mahama that halted hazardous coastal pollution.
“Before Zoomlion, faecal waste flowed freely into the sea that caused diseases such as cholera. Their infrastructure is now our lifeline,” he emphasized.
The Minister, however, raised alarms over a crippling 1.2 billion Ghana cedis debt owed to Zoomlion by the government, inherited from the previous Akufo-Addo administration.
According to him, this debt had been a significant concern for the government, adding that despite this, “we are closely collaborating with Zoomlion to address Ghana’s waste management challenges.”
“We are collaborating closely with Zoomlion to address waste management challenges in the country, particularly focusing on recycling plastic waste,” he added.
He stressed the necessity for the government to forge a solid partnership with private waste management firms and urged Zoomlion not to relent on their efforts to complete their waste infrastructure transformation agenda.
He called for intensified advocacy to curb reckless waste disposal, particularly in water bodies critical for domestic and agricultural use.
“Zoomlion’s work goes beyond just sweeping our streets, it’s about safeguarding national health and environmental sustainability,” he asserted, rallying support for stronger public-private partnerships.
GNA
LAA