The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) in Ghana recently secured a $125 million grant from the World Bank. This grant is for a five-year project. Its goal is to enhance the skills of environmental officers, equipping them to prosecute sanitation violations effectively.
In 2015, the World Bank allocated $150 million for a pilot project. This project targeted the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions and ran for five years.
Charlotte Akwaah Adjei Marfo, MSWR’s Programme Manager, discussed the initiative’s goals in Wa. She attended a recent workshop with 40 environmental officers. Marfo stressed the importance of enforcing sanitation rules. She mentioned that better enforcement can reduce problems like flooding.
This gathering marked the project’s second phase launch. This phase is set to end in 2024. The workshop covered topics from court jurisdiction to drafting summons.
This initiative supports the government’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. This goal focuses on clean water and sanitation.
Kweku Quansah, MSWR’s Deputy Director, talked about challenges faced by officers. The lack of gazetted bye-laws hinders prosecution efforts. Quansah assured that the MSWR would work on this issue.
Freda Naah, a Regional Head, urged officers to value the workshop. She talked about the laxity in prosecuting offenders and its visible impact on communities.
Ghana is taking steps towards cleaner communities. This initiative will improve officers’ expertise and show commitment to enforcing sanitation laws.
