Zoomlion urges public to change attitude towards sanitation

Takoradi, Nov. 6, GNA - Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a leading waste management company, on Friday, called for a change in attitude by the general public, concerning environmental sanitation practices in the country.

Speaking at a press briefing on the activities of the company at Takoradi, the Head of Communications of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mr Oscar Provencal said the company's efforts at keeping "our streets and homes clean would be in vain if the public did not refrain from indiscriminate littering of the environment with impunity."

He said the company is grappling with daunting challenges such as clients' unwillingness to pay realistic prices for domestic waste services, weak enforcement of assembly bye-laws on sanitation, non availability of zones for solid waste collection, leading to people attributing sanitation problems everywhere to the company, as well as non availability of funds for expansion.

Mr Provencal said the company had extended its waste management services to other African countries such as Togo, Angola and Guinea, whiles negotiations are far advanced for the company to start operations in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

"Zoomlion is proud of its international services, such as offering janitorial and environmental sanitation services during the Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana and the recent Nations Cup in the ultra modern 11th November Stadium in Luanda, Angola", he said.

A Communication Officer of Zoomlion, Mr Solomon Agyemang Duah, said the company had ventured into other sectors, such as agriculture, janitorial services, beautification services, heavy duty equipment hiring, sale and rental of construction and waste management equipment. He said in pursuance of excellence in the waste and sanitation industry, the company had exchanged ideas with international waste management companies of South Africa and Germany, for technical cooperation and capacity building.

Mr Duah revealed that, plans are far advanced for the construction of sorting and compositing plant at Midiam near Accra, to process 300 tones of domestic waste daily.

He noted that the company had established a training institution to train sanitation workers in waste management practices and award diplomas and degrees after completion of the course. Mr Duah said the company has a core staff strength of 2,800, adding that, with the employment of the youth into the Zoil Eco Brigade, National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) and the National Afforestation Programme, it had so far employed 62,500 people through public-private partnerships in the country.

He said the company would continue championing a clean environment in Ghana, devoid of any partisan political undertone and abide by the rules and regulations governing its operations.