The Municipal Chief Executive, Dr Matthew Kofi Ayeh, made the appeal during an engagement with Parliament’s Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources at Bogoso.

He explained that the faulty truck, which plays a critical role in transporting waste, had forced the Assembly to depend on private aboboyaa operators to move refuse. He said this arrangement was placing an additional financial burden on the Assembly.

He therefore called for the immediate replacement of the truck to enable the Assembly to improve waste collection and maintain cleaner communities.

The Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Jerry Kuma, disclosed that the Assembly receives 10 per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund for sanitation, but the allocation was inadequate to meet the municipality's growing sanitation needs. Despite the challenges, he said the Assembly had maintained nine of its 11 waste containers and recruited 33 sanitation workers. Together with additional personnel supported through internally generated funds, more than 60 workers are currently involved in sanitation activities across the municipality.

Mr Kuma also announced plans to desilt gutters as part of measures to improve environmental conditions and reduce the risk of flooding.

The Parliamentary Committee, as part of its nationwide oversight exercise, engaged the Assembly, waste management operators and other stakeholders to identify challenges affecting sanitation and water service delivery.

The Committee Chairman, John Oti Bless, reaffirmed government's commitment to improving sanitation and called for greater transparency and accountability in the use of sanitation funds.

The Assembly's appeal for a new skip truck is expected to help strengthen waste collection and improve sanitation management in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.