Ho (V/R), April 18, GNA – Mr Stephen Adom, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ho, has engaged sachet water producers as part of efforts to address sanitation challenges and the growing menace of plastic waste in the municipality.
The meeting, held on April 17, brought together key industry stakeholders to deliberate on practical measures to improve environmental cleanliness.
Mr Adom said sachet water producers played a critical role in tackling the sanitation problem due to their contribution to plastic waste generation.
“We must all take responsibility for keeping our municipality clean by adopting proper waste disposal practices,” he said, stressing the need for shared accountability.
He urged producers to go beyond production and take the lead in environmental education to promote proper waste disposal practices among consumers.
“Producers must not only produce but also lead in educating the public on proper disposal to protect our environment,” he added, underscoring the importance of sustained public awareness campaigns.
Mr Adom noted that achieving lasting sanitation improvements would require effective collaboration among producers, consumers and local authorities.
A major concern raised during the engagement was the increasing number of unauthorised sachet water producers operating without regulation in the municipality.
According to the MCE, such operations posed serious risks to public health and environmental safety, while undermining fair competition.
“These unregulated operations are a threat to both public health and fair competition, and we must work together to address them,” he cautioned.
He therefore called on registered producers to collaborate with the Ho Municipal Assembly by identifying and reporting illegal operators to enable effective enforcement of standards and protection of legitimate businesses.
Mr Adom reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to strengthening monitoring mechanisms and ensuring strict enforcement of regulations.
“We will continue to work closely with all approved producers to ensure that only responsible operators are allowed to operate,” he assured.
The engagement forms part of broader municipal efforts to promote a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable Ho through stakeholder partnerships and proactive environmental management.
Mr Christian Kofi Vorkeh, Chief Executive Officer of Krister Minerals Water, welcomed the initiative and pledged the support of the association.
“We appreciate the engagement and are ready to collaborate fully to improve sanitation and uphold industry standards,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah