Sanitation Burden Overstretching STMA’s Resources – MCE
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), Hon. Frederick F.F Faidoo, has raised concerns over the enormous sanitation burden facing the metropolis, revealing that his administration inherited a broken waste management system that lacked the logistics and resources needed to effectively manage waste.
Speaking during a Meet-the-Press session to brief journalists on the assembly’s developmental agenda and the state of affairs in the metropolis, Hon. Faidoo said the assembly faced significant logistical and financial challenges upon assuming office.
According to him, the assembly did not own a single waste collection truck and had to rely on private partners and rented equipment to collect and transport waste across the metropolis.
The MCE explained that the sanitation burden on STMA is much heavier than that of other assemblies because the metropolis manages the engineered landfill site at Sofokrom Road, popularly known as “Borla Kessim.”
He noted that all waste collected within the metropolis is transported to the landfill site, which falls under the assembly’s jurisdiction, making waste management operations both complex and expensive.
Hon. Faidoo stated that although 10 percent of the District Assemblies Common Fund is allocated for sanitation across all assemblies, the allocation fails to take into account the additional responsibility of managing an engineered landfill facility.
Despite the challenges, Hon. Faidoo said his administration has begun turning the situation around through strategic investments and partnerships.
He announced that the assembly has acquired at least two waste collection trucks to improve waste evacuation within the metropolis.
The MCE outlined the assembly’s vision of converting waste into energy through a proposed waste-to-energy project.
He disclosed that a delegation from STMA recently travelled to China, where they held discussions with SOS Environment China, a company with extensive experience in waste-to-energy technology.
Story by Nana Fynn@W/R.
