Ahmed Ibrahim, Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has called on waste management contractors to reconsider their planned industrial action as government works to address payment grievances. The appeal came after the minister led the November edition of National Sanitation Day exercises on Saturday.
The Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) earlier threatened to suspend operations nationwide from November 7, 2025, over three years of unpaid arrears. Executive Secretary Ama Ofori Antwi told journalists in Accra on October 29 that the government owes members more than one million Ghana cedis, leaving contractors unable to pay workers or maintain equipment.
Speaking to the media following Saturday’s sanitation exercise, Ibrahim acknowledged the financial difficulties facing waste management companies. He indicated that his ministry has engaged with relevant parliamentary committees and the Ministry of Finance to expedite payment of outstanding amounts.
ESPA represents over 10,000 members and 67 registered waste contractors who partner with government and local authorities to maintain environmental sanitation across Ghana’s urban centres. The coalition plays a critical role in waste collection, particularly in Accra and other major cities.
Ofori Antwi explained that many service providers borrowed from banks and creditors to sustain operations but now face legal threats from lenders. She warned that a nationwide shutdown could trigger a public health crisis, with risks including blocked drainage systems, increased flooding, and potential outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, and malaria.
The association also called for restructuring of the Sanitation and Pollution Levy into a dedicated fund supporting waste management operations. Ofori Antwi noted that the sector has operated for years without consistent budgetary allocation, leaving financial sustainability at risk. ESPA additionally requested that Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies review fixed cost recovery rates paid to waste collectors and transfer station operators.
Despite the financial tensions, Ofori Antwi emphasized that ESPA fully supports President John Dramani Mahama’s relaunch of National Sanitation Day. The exercise takes place on the first Saturday of each month across all 261 assemblies nationwide.
Minister Ibrahim has made sanitation a Key Performance Indicator for all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives. He directed assembly leaders to clear public spaces and visible nuisances by 8:00 a.m. daily, with the first six months serving as a performance benchmark. The ministry also established a dedicated sanitation hotline enabling citizens to report cleansing issues directly.
President Mahama officially relaunched National Sanitation Day on September 6 at the Institute of Local Government Studies in Madina. The initiative, first introduced in 2014 during his previous administration, aims to foster environmental responsibility and improve public health through monthly community cleanup exercises.
Ibrahim appealed to media houses to educate citizens about proper sanitation practices. The minister noted that 80 percent of the District Assemblies Common Fund has been released to assemblies, with portions earmarked for sanitation activities. He stressed that improved environmental conditions depend on changing public attitudes and consistent collective action from individuals, households, and institutions.
The threatened strike comes as Ghana grapples with ongoing urban sanitation challenges including indiscriminate refuse dumping, choked drains, and waste accumulation in markets and public spaces. Environmental health experts warn that any disruption to waste collection services could rapidly worsen conditions in densely populated areas.
ESPA’s deadline of November 7 gives government less than a week to resolve the payment crisis and prevent a potentially devastating interruption to sanitation services across the country.
