News:
November 7, 2022
Despite hikes in the cost of building materials in recent times, Coordinator of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project, (GAMA SWP) and Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project, (GKMA SWP), Engineer George Asiedu said beneficiaries can access toilet built for low income communities at initial subsidized price.
According to him the cost of poor sanitation cannot be over estimate, for this reason they do not play games with the need to access toilet.
So, despite the fact that prices of material are going high, they do not see the need to increase the contribution from the beneficiaries as this would deter them.
“And if we happen to fall sick or get into pandemic regime just as we had with COVID -19 you know the cost that government had to incur, so as a result of this what we are doing is to bear the additional cost and government is taking up the additional cost of materials so the subsidy contribution is absorbing the extra cost and the cost to the beneficiary remains the same”, he said in an interview with Ghanamps.com
No additional cost has been added to the beneficiaries, so if you need the stand alone it is still the thousand two hundred, (GHc 1,200) if you need the digester with seat is still seven hundred Ghana (GHc 700), if you have to get a large digester still eight hundred Ghana cedi (GHc 800).
“We would urge everybody to take steps to access these facilities; government is making it affordable and easy to access because we are dealing with low income populations”.
According to the GAMA Coordinator, when it comes to sanitation, the Ministry and the Minister have resolved “we should not increase the burden to the beneficiaries, they are paying that to the toilet builders and they are not having problem at all”.
Either than that, they would have been out of business, adding that they are still negotiating as the prices go up and “I am sure government is doing its best the cost of doing business and material and we would not want this to affect the project; and the project is going on as planned, and the cost of accessing the toilet remains the same. The project has strategist to some of the cost as subsidy and paying to the contractors”, he added.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com