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Ghana’s waste management system is about to collapse, and the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) has warned that the government must act quickly to prevent a national sanitation and public health emergency.
On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, ESPA’s Executive Secretary, Madam Ama Ofori Antwi, stressed at a packed news conference in Accra that service providers were the danger of closing because of increasing financial strain.
She stated that service providers who have taken out loans to fund their operations over the years from banks, creditors, suppliers, and other partners now find themselves in a situation where their assistance has been taken away and, in the majority of cases, they have been threatened with legal action.
“If immediate government attention and intervention are not provided, these compounded challenges could cripple Ghana’s waste management system in a few days time, reversing years of progress made in keeping our cities clean and protecting public health and the environment,” she warned.
“ESPA has engaged with the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, as well as relevant parliamentary committees, to facilitate payment to our members”.
She lamented the lack of progress in these efforts and urged the government to make payment immediately in order to prevent shutdown by November 7, 2025.
Given the aforementioned, Madam Ofori Antwi requested that the government release all outstanding payments to ESPA members via the Ministry of Finance as soon as possible in order to meet the deadline.
In order to maintain and support the current waste management infrastructure, she also demanded a policy review of the Sanitation and Pollution Levy as a dedicated fund.
“There has been an absence of a dedicated budgetary allocation for waste management over the years. The sector’s financial sustainability, therefore, remains at risk, with the possibility of service disruptions if urgent attention is not given,” she stressed.
Furthermore, she asked that Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) review the current fixed cost recovery rates paid to waste collectors, transporters, and transfer station operators.
This is because the current rates are no longer economically viable, making operations unprofitable for many members, she stated. “To ensure business viability and the continued provision of effective sanitation services across the country, a fair and realistic adjustment is essential,” she said.
ESPA wholeheartedly backed President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to relaunch National Sanitation Day, Madam Ofori Antwi said, while also calling on the government to address their concerns immediately.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
