Sanitation levy must be increased to tackle filth, create jobs—Oti Bless
By: Rebecca Okine
The Chairman of Parliament’s Sanitation Committee and Member of Parliament for the Nkwanta North Constituency, John Oti Bless, has proposed that government increase the sanitation levy from 20 pesewas to 50 pesewas in the 2026 budget to intensify the fight against poor sanitation and create employment opportunities for the youth.
Speaking to the media yesterday, Mr Bless argued that the increment would not only provide additional funding to address Ghana’s sanitation challenges but also support youth-focused initiatives.
“Government, through the Finance Minister, should consider increasing the levy in the 2026 budget,” he said.
He explained that revenue from the levy should be restructured so that portions are allocated to key agencies such as the National Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and the National Youth Authority (NYA).
According to him, this would enable the agencies to absorb more young people into productive ventures while supporting training under the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP).
“I want to propose that this levy should be brought back to focus not only on sanitation issues but also on unemployment. If we increase it from 20 pesewas to 50 pesewas and distribute the revenue wisely, we can recruit more young people and build their skills,” Mr Bless noted.
On behalf of the Sanitation Committee, the Chairman praised the work of the YEA and described its leadership as instrumental in addressing the growing number of unemployed graduates.
“A few days ago, I met with the YEA CEO, Malik Basintale, and he is doing extremely well. A lot of young people are coming out of SHS and tertiary institutions, and such initiatives will help absorb them,” he stated.
Mr Bless stressed that Ghanaians are not opposed to paying taxes, provided the money is used transparently for its intended purpose.
“There is no Ghanaian who has a problem paying taxes. The issue is about management. If the tax is utilised for its intended purpose, Ghanaians have no problem contributing,” he indicated.
Citing past examples, he pointed out that citizens supported the introduction of the one cedi levy in Parliament because they trusted it would resolve the country’s power crisis.
“Today, because the government was committed, we now have 24/7 power and the problem of power outages has almost been resolved. That shows that when Ghanaians see results, they are willing to support such initiatives,” he explained.
The legislator emphasised that the National Apprenticeship Programme, recently introduced by government, is already benefiting many young people.
He urged government to channel part of the proposed levy increment into sustaining and expanding the programme.
“This is an important policy, and it is helping a lot. Strengthening it through the sanitation levy will make it more impactful,” Mr Bless remarked.
Mr Bless concluded by reiterating that increasing the levy to 50 pesewas would ensure that sanitation challenges are addressed while also giving young people the chance to acquire jobs and skills. “It will be a win-win for sanitation and employment,” he emphasised.
