MMAs receive waste management machines

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Baba Jamal, has presented waste management equipment worth $10,720,000 to be distributed to the Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies (MMAs) across the country.

The equipment included 25 skip trucks, 34 garbage compactors, 30 mounted roll- on- roll off machine trucks, 10 suction high pressure jetting trucks and 14 suction machine trucks.

Mr Jamal said the money for the equipment was secured under a credit line from the Exim Bank of India under the Waste Management Equipment and Management Support Project.

He said Government was fully aware of the challenges that assemblies in the country faced in terms of getting the needed funding for continuous and reliable waste management service delivery.

“It is for this reason that the Ministry has taken delivery of these equipment which are free of charge to the beneficiaries to enable them serve their assemblies efficiently.

He said Government was working assiduously to acquire similar equipment for the district assemblies across the country as well.

The Minister said the support to the MMAs was in line with the revised Environmental and Sanitation Policy (2010) which required Assemblies to maintain at least 20 per cent capacity of ensuring sustainable service delivery with the private sector handling the rest.

He appealed to the MMAs to take very good care of the equipment and use them for the purposes for which they were intended.

Baba Jamal urged them to acquire lands within their areas of jurisdiction to serve as landfills to avoid improper waste disposal.

Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, Accra Major, who spoke on behalf of the Metropolitan and Municipal Chief Executive Officers, expressed his gratitude to government for the initiative and pledged to take good care of the equipment.

Source: GNA