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KMA receives grant from EU to manage solid waste

The European Union (EU) has provided a grant of 2.5million Euros to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), to help manage solid waste and improve service delivery in the metropolis under the program Holistic Reinforcement for Sustainable Development (HORESD).

Date Created : 3/31/2022 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Susana Danso/Ghanadistricts.com

The program is co-partnered by Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta in Spain and the Chamber of Praia in Cape Verde and would be implemented in 30 months.

Speaking at the launch of the HORESD project, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei Mensah lauded the project, stating that it is in line with President Akufo-Addo’s quest for MMDCE’s to leverage on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17, to forge north–south partnerships that will contribute to Ghana’s achievement of the SDGs by 2030.

He noted that over 1,500 tons of waste is generated in Kumasi daily, creating sleepless nights for the city authorities in terms of its management and that the project would go a long way to augment the government’s effort in managing solid waste in the metropolis, adding that while urban solid waste is a resource for job creation and sustainable income generation for some households in countries like Germany, Spain and Sweden, it was rather a headache and financial drain on the city authorities in developing countries like Ghana.

The Minister was however confident that, under his watch, the project will be scaled up to other cities within the Ashanti Region as well as replicated in other regions of Ghana.

The Mayor of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Mr. Samuel Pyne noted that waste management in the metropolis consumes almost three-quarters of the Internally Generated Funds mobilized by the City Council, and that despite all these financial investments in the management of solid waste, the city of Kumasi was still bedeviled with indiscriminate disposal of solid waste.

“We’ve tried several waste management strategies, ranging from free disposal of waste by households, pay-as-you dump, and night cleaning to the installation of dustbins along the streets, all to improve waste management”, he lamented.

He said unfortunately the results realized do far have been below expectation.

On his part, H.E. Irchad Razaaly Ambassador and Head, European Union delegation to Ghana, said the project seeks to strengthen Kumasi’s capacity to provide public service, giving priority to an integrated management system of solid urban waste.

He further noted that it will help boost the circular economy in the metropolis, with special emphasis on incorporating the disadvantaged or those at risk of social exclusion, especially women, young people, and people with disabilities.