Mahama assigns sanitation duties to local authorities
By: Solomon Nartey Tetteh
President John Dramani Mahama has announced a change in how sanitation services will be managed across the country, stating that Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) will now take full responsibility for waste management in their respective districts.
Speaking during the orientation program for newly appointed MMDCEs, President Mahama said the current centralized waste management system is ineffective and needs to be restructured.
He noted that the existing model has excluded Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) from key roles, such as procuring waste management equipment and supervising sanitation workers.
Under the new approach, full responsibility for sanitation will be transferred to the MMDAs. To support this transition, President Mahama announced that 10 percent of the District Assemblies Common Fund will be allocated for sanitation, as outlined in the fund’s guidelines.
President Mahama also disclosed that resources from the Communication Service Tax, currently managed by the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), will be decentralized to the district level.
“You will be provided with clear guidelines to select sanitation service providers through a competitive and transparent process. But listen carefully, you will be fully responsible for both the process and the outcome,” he told the MMDCEs.
The President urged the MMDCEs to prioritize sanitation under the new model, calling for renewed commitment and leadership at the local level to improve hygiene, waste disposal, and environmental health across the country.
