Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, the Spokesperson for CONIWAS, Benjamin Lartey, said such a move will help rid the country of its insanitary conditions.

“We have noticed with concern that there is no clear national programme to promote solid waste separation, treatment and reuse. As part of the government’s resolve to partner with the private sector to develop some other sectors, we expect the government and the new ministry to extend similar drive to the waste management industry. The government can launch a campaign to that effect and provide the enabling environment for private investors in waste management so that their interest could be sustained.”

A recent survey by CONIWAS revealed that, more than 62% of households in Ghana drink water from sources that are contaminated with faecal matter, and only 15% of Ghanaian households use improved household toilets.

The group urged government to support low income communities to install toilet facilities by establishing a fund at the district level.

He also commended the Nana Akufo Addo government for creating the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.

“However, at the political and administrative level, these two sub-sectors have been put under separate ministries, thereby weakening coordination at all levels and causing the sector to compete unduly with other sectors under those ministries. We believe therefore that, the creation of the Water and Sanitation Ministry is a very welcome political decision by the President. We believe that it will unify administrative and coordination systems”.

Benjamin Lartey assured that, CONIWAS will continue to work with government and other partners to find lasting solutions to the sanitation and water challenges facing the country.

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By: Melvin Clottey/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

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“This is a dream come true as we have been calling for this for many years. It is our hope that this will go a long way to give meaning to Ghana’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 – Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” says Martin Dery, Chairman of CONIWAS.

CONIWAS says it believes that one of the factors contributing to low performance in the Water and Sanitation sector is weak coordination.

This has mainly been due to scattered responsibilities for water and sanitation over different Ministries, even though the sector believes in an integrated approach to promoting access to safe water and sanitation.

At the local government levels too, water and sanitation have not been attracting the priority they deserve partly due to the fact that they do not have Directors representing their ministries within the MMDAs.

“As a result, even though the country is believed to have achieved her MDG targets for drinking water, available data from the state agencies – both Ghana Water Company Limited and the Community Water and Sanitation Agency indicates that less than 65% of Ghanaians have access to potable water, while according to the WHO/UNICEF JMP report only 15% of households in Ghana use improved toilet facilities.”

CONIWAS  said more than five million people practice open defecation on daily basis, and every district in the country contributes to this.

It said “While there are a number of on-going interventions that have the potential to help the country to achieve total sanitation and water for all, CONIWAS believes that low political ownership, prioritization and investment at all levels accounts for the lack of the anticipated success. It is also our belief as a coalition that once all the water and sanitation agencies and their partners begin to operate under one Ministry, policies and strategies will be better aligned, owned, and easier to implement and monitor.”

“This will be a potential for a coordinated and functional sector. While we endorse the creation of this ministry, we also make our structures available to government for further dialogue necessary to help shape this noble political idea of a dedicated ministry into a functioning technical and operational system to achieve maximum result for the people of Ghana.”

“We therefore suggest the involvement of CONIWAS and civil society in drafting any policies and operational strategies necessary to help the new Ministry to settle and function well especially at these initial stages. Civil society in general and CONIWAS in particular have played a key role in supporting governments formulate policies, develop and implement strategies to both improve access to water and sanitation services and raise its profile. We will continue to play our well-known role of embarking on advocacy campaigns and dialogues with government and citizens to help increase awareness and raise the profile of the sector in the light of the ambitious new sustainable development goals. CONIWAS reiterates its resolve to continue to work with government and partners to find lasting solutions to the sanitation and water challenges facing the country. ”

About CONIWAS

The Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) is an umbrella Civil Society Organization (CSO) established to contribute to water resource management and sustainable provision of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in Ghana. It is a member-based organisation with over 100 members spread throughout the country supporting communities to have access to improved sustainable WASH services.

It is dedicated to ensuring availability of potable water supply in the right quantity and right time, improved sanitation integrated with hygiene promotion to the citizens of the Country, especially the poor and marginalized people in society.

It was formed in 2003 to provide space for WASH Sector NGOs to engage themselves as well as government and other sector organizations on issues affecting the sector.

The Network provides a forum for CSO coordination and involvement in debates and information exchange to influence policy decisions and strategies affecting the WASH sector. It also initiates, develops and maintains collaborative mechanisms among CSOs working in Ghana and at international arena by enhancing communication on matters relating to WASH.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post CONIWAS lauds creation of Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.