The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has cut the sod for the construction of an integrated recycling and compost plant and water treatment plant at Assakae in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality of the Western Region, on Wednesday, 19th August 2020.
The Plant, which is being established by the Jospong Group and its partners, in collaboration with government, and which is estimated to cost some sixty million euros, will be the biggest investment in the Municipality.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “the Plant will receive, sort, and process four hundred tonnes of solid waste, and treat some one thousand (1,000) cubic meters of waste water, which will, in turn, serve up to two million people in the municipality and the Western Region.”
The construction of this plant is in line with Government’s policy to create the enabling environment for the private sector to partner government to bridge the infrastructure gap in sanitation.
The President noted that benefits to be accrued from the project include the effective and efficient management of municipal solid waste, the production of organic compost for horticultural and agronomical purposes, reduction in the high rate of plastic pollution, and the processing of recyclable fractions of the total waste such as paper, plastic and metal for reuse.
“Equally more important will be the provision of jobs for the youth of this community and its environs. Asakae can expect that this Plant to bring in its accompanying benefits such as good roads, potable water, and the extension of electricity, which will help improve the local economy,” he said.
As co-Chair of the Eminent Group of Advocates for the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, President Akufo-Addo noted that this intervention will help us meet the Goals on clean water and sanitation (SDG 6); good health and wellbeing (SDG 3); decent work and economic growth (SDG 8); sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11); and climate action (SDG 13).
To Jospong Group and its partners, and, indeed, to all other companies interested in venturing into this field, President Akufo-Addo stressed that “the expectation is that the establishment of such facilities, like the one to be set up here, are replicated in the other parts of the country, to facilitate the management of environmental sanitation across the country.”
He further urged all stakeholders to see to the timely completion of these projects, and to ensure that construction is carried out pursuant to required standards and specifications.
