Members of Ghana’s Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources have completed an inspection tour of sanitation projects managed by Zoomlion Ghana Limited, including a visit to the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), as part of efforts to address the country’s persistent sanitation and water challenges.
The committee, led by Vice Chairperson Hon. Mrs. Joycelyn Quashie, engaged with officials from Zoomlion and local Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Region. The working visit, conducted on Monday and Friday, aimed to assess the implementation of the Sanitation Improvement Programme (SIP) and gather data to inform nationwide policy recommendations.
During the tour of ACARP—West Africa’s first state-of-the-art composting and recycling facility—committee members praised Zoomlion’s investments and innovations in waste management infrastructure, which include 36 treatment plants and five wastewater plants across the country. Committee Chairman John Oti Bless commended the operational efficiency of the facilities and Zoomlion’s role in advancing public health, but noted that financial constraints, including GHS 1.2 billion in outstanding government payments, threaten continued progress.
“We want to see stronger action where it matters most—in the streets and communities,” Mr. Oti Bless stated, emphasizing the need for effective implementation at the local level.
Hon. Mrs. Joycelyn Quashie advocated for enhanced collaboration between Parliament and waste management companies to educate the public on hygiene and the dangers of unsanitary environments. She also raised concerns about the 1 million Dustbin policy, urging that measures be put in place for regular emptying of bins, not just their distribution.
Local government officials, however, voiced frustrations over the SIP’s execution. Representatives from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and other MMDAs reported that many refuse containers provided under the contract are not regularly emptied, and that local authorities were not adequately consulted before contract agreements were signed. Only 3 of 15 designated collection sites in Accra were found to be clean, with several sites lacking containers altogether.
The committee pledged to recommend a review of the SIP to give local assemblies greater control over waste management and to ensure contracts are transparent and responsive to community needs. There were also calls for a dedicated sanitation fund, stronger enforcement of local bye-laws, and increased public education campaigns.
Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group (parent company of Zoomlion), appealed for timely government payments and tax relief on essential equipment, stressing that the sector needs more recognition and support to sustain its impact.
The committee announced plans for a nationwide tour to further assess sanitation and water conditions and to explore ways to enhance recycling and waste-to-resource initiatives across Ghana.
The inspection tour underscores Parliament’s commitment to finding practical, community-driven solutions to Ghana’s sanitation and water challenges, with a focus on sustainable funding, local empowerment, and public health.