Cycle Of Debts Cripples Waste Collection

THE country’s waste management regime is hinged on a vicious cycle of debts that seriously affects its capacity to function effectively.

While the association of waste collectors says the assemblies and customers owe its members over ¢100 billion, they in turn owe millions of cedis to fuel companies and spare parts dealers, as well as the Social Security and National Insurance Trust and the Internal Revenue Service.

The Environmental Service Providers Association, the umbrella organisation of waste collection agencies in the country, has attributed the "cycle of indebtedness" to the absence of carefully designed strategies to compel those who create waste to pay for its disposal.

Addressing a news conference in Accra on Wednesday, the association called on the government and other stakeholders to, as a matter of urgency, implement the Advocacy Action for the integration of the "Polluter Pays" principle in financing waste management services in the country.

The "Polluter Pays" principle requires both producers and consumers of products to pay some stipulated money for the waste that is generated by their activities.

Captain Frederick Amoh-Twum, chairman of ESPA, who addressed the press conference noted that in Accra and Kumasi alone, members of the association are owed over ¢89 billion. Such a huge debt, he explained, has greatly stifled the services they must render to the country.

"Due to this, our companies owe several millions of cedis to fuel companies and spare parts dealers as well as several months debts owed to SSNIT, the Internal Revenue Service, loans and interests to banks," he said.

"Our vehicles are broken down and our maintenance costs are strangling us to death and yet, we have never enjoyed any rise in tonnage fees with all the fuel increases," he added.

He complained that as a result of this, the association’s initiatives to bring in new technology and equipment is been threatened by lack of financial resources.

In the wake of this problem, he said the association on September 11, 2006 petitioned the President to intervene to find a solution to the huge debt owed them.

"In the meantime, we hold high our hope that the President will step in when he comes back (home) to resolve this problem so that we can envigorate our operations and bring some hope into the sector," he said.

Immediate remedial measures are particularly required to address the myriad problems confronting the country in terms of waste management since Ghana is preparing for her Golden Jubilee celebrations next year as well as the African Cup of Nations scheduled for 2008, he emphasized.