Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

As Ghana leads in the crusade of addressing waste menace in the system in Africa and the West Africa sub-region, Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies is attracting some countries from both Africa and the sub-region to understudy its operation and replicate same in their respective countries.

A tour by members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) to ACARP on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, saw a high-powered delegation from Ethiopia visiting the facility.

Managing Director of the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP) Michael Padi Tuwor in an interview noted that after ten, fifteen, and twenty years, the Jospong Group is stepping out as they have invested and built capacity.

“We have built enough resources and replicating this in Africa and the West Africa sub-region. We are in Nigeria Lagos, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Guinea Conakry and Liberia”.

Almost every week they have a country visiting their facility to learn what they are doing.

Mr. Michael Padi further pointed out that their mandate is to receive waste generated in the capital from respective homes, marketplaces, among others. And when they are brought to their facility their duty is to recover as much as they can from the waste, add value to it, and send it back into the system for re-use.

“The organic component of the waste, because the waste that we generate is not separated at source, it is mixed, that is the reason for all the investment you see here. So, when the waste comes here, we use the MRF that is the material recovery facility, to recover the various fractions like organic fractions, the plastics, card boards and scrap metals.”

“We add value to these ones – the organic we turn it into compost for agriculture purposes, all the plastics we process into pellets and then also give it out to the plastic manufacturing companies for further production into Household items.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Managing Director of the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP) Michael Padi Tuwor said the culture of separating plastic waste from other wastes is catching up well with Ghanaians in the capital.

According to him, in the homes people are separating the plastics waste from other things. But the problem is that it’s only one truck that would usually come for the waste; hence everything that is separated ends up in the same truck. If we have more trucks like the way Zoomlion has and the truck can come twice in a week it will help, because then in the first day in the week it will come for organic materials, and the second day its coming for recyclable things that in a way would have helped; but it’s a gradual process, we are getting there once people get to understand what we call waste is not a waste but resource.

He affirmed that there is value in waste and people will keep it and sale, stating that these days people wait for you at events to finish drinking just so they can pick the empty bottles because they know there is value in it. “That is where we are heading to, and for us that is what we expect into the future”, he added.

The ACARP MD further noted that Jospong Group has introduced campaigns on free dustbins and one million free dustbins to households, just so to store the waste.

He asserts that per our by-laws the polluter has a responsibility, once you generate the waste you are to store it; once it is lifted the responsibility and liability is transferred to the government, that is why you are charged for the lifting. When it comes to the downstream treatment and disposal that is when the government also comes in and its paid for, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

General Manager for Private Sector Business (PSB) of Sewerage Systems Ghana Limited (SSGL), Lola Asise Ashitey has appealed to the government for increased and timely financial support to expand the company’s liquid waste treatment plants across all 16 regions of Ghana.

This appeal was made during a media briefing as part of a five-facility tour of Zoomlion Ghana’s liquid waste treatment plants on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
According to Ashitey, SSGL currently operates six liquid waste treatment plants in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, and Takoradi. She emphasized the impact these facilities have had on public health, particularly in reducing the incidence of cholera in the Greater Accra Region.

“Since we started operations in 2017, we don’t have cholera in Greater Accra like we used to. The records are there. This must be replicated in all other regions to make sure that our people are healthy and can contribute to the nation’s development,” she stated.

Challenges with Improper Waste Disposal

Lola Ashitey mentioned a significant challenge faced by SSGL — the improper disposal of solid waste into liquid waste systems.

She described how people often dump diapers, sanitary pads, and even human remains into public toilets and streams, which disrupts the treatment process and clogs their pumps.

“Ghana is our country. If we do it right, we do it right for ourselves. But when people dump solid waste in public toilets and streams, it comes back to us. It makes it difficult for us to treat the waste properly. Maybe without these challenges, we could be having 10 treatment plants by now instead of six,” she noted.

A Call for Collective Responsibility

She urged Ghanaians to adopt responsible waste disposal practices, stressing that the fight against cholera and other sanitation-related diseases requires a collective effort.

“We don’t want what is happening in other regions with cholera outbreaks to happen to our people. We cannot do it alone. We all need to put our hands on deck to make sure we’re doing things right,” she appealed.

Future Plans and the Need for Support

SSGL aims to expand its operations to all 16 regions, ensuring better sanitation and healthier communities.

Ashitey expressed hope that with increased government support and prompt payments, this vision can become a reality.

She said, “Our key is for the government to support us more. We are already getting some support, but we would love to be paid regularly so we can replicate these plants across the country,” she added.

The expansion of liquid waste treatment facilities could significantly reduce the spread of waterborne diseases, improve public health, and create a cleaner environment across Ghana.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Rt Hon Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has inaugurated the 9th Parliamentary Service Board where he urged lawmakers to prioritize accountability, bipartisan collaboration, and responsive governance as the 9th Parliament works to address pressing national challenges.

During the ceremony, he underscored the Board’s pivotal role in strengthening institutional integrity and fostering a legislative environment anchored in public trust and democratic principles.

The Board, which Is chaired by the Rt Hon Speaker, has the following members:

Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror – Clerk to Parliament
Mahama Ayariga – MP for Bawku Central and Majority Leader
Alexander Afenyo-Markin – MP for Effutu and Minority Leader
Angela Oforiwa Alorwu-Tay – Former MP for Afadjato South
Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah – Former MP for New Juaben South
The first and second deputy Speakers

Hon. Bernard Ahiafor-MP for Akatsi South and Hon. Andrew Asiamah -MP for Fomena and 2nd Deputy Speaker are co-opted members.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) on Sunday, March 16, 2025, abstained from participating in the question-and-answer session on the 24-Hour Economy Policy at the ongoing 2025 post-budget workshop in Parliament.

Mr Augustus Goosie Tanoh, President John Mahama’s advisor on the 24-Hour Economy was on the floor of the House to explain the policy to MPs.

But when it got to question time, some Minority MPs rose to their feet to ask questions but were prevailed upon by their leadership not to ask their questions.

Meanwhile, MPs on the Majority side of the House took the opportunity to either offer explanations, suggestions or ask questions for more light to be thrown on the 24-hour economy policy of the John Mahama led administration.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not a Father Christmas, they are not there to make business but definitely they are there to survive and falling back on IMF comes with cost; the Rt. Hon Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin noted at the start of the 2025 post budget workshop in Parliament.

According to him the Country must do everything not to get back to the IMF; and as the nation engages with them, we should be cautious of some of the things they approve.

He further pointed out that it is important that Members of Parliament (MPs) focus on the workshop and emphasis the need for opportunities for the lawmakers to ask critical questions, hence the reason why there are technical experts around at the workshop.

Again, the management of Ghana’s debt is central to the sustainability of its fiscal policy, and questions may relate to, for instance, balance borrowing and investment in growth as well as how to ensure sustainable debt levels.

Governance, he stated is about the welfare of the people and does not make profit; making profit thus belongs to the private sector, hence MPs should do all that it takes to understand the policy goal of the budget and how to align it with the broader development agenda.

The Speaker also urged the MPs to hold government accountable for its promises, thus there is the need for deep understanding of what those promises entail.

Speaker Bagbin advised the lawmakers to focus on the 24-hour Economy policy to explain to their constituents like the previous government did with the Free Senior High school, which had implementation challenges; “and I did say that such an important policy is good to be brought to the House for it to be debated”.

He asserts that Parliament’s role in such policies is not to know about such big policy, but to make inputs, and for MPs to be able to explain to their constituents.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com