Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, has secured funding to construct 30,000 improved household toilet facilities under the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA) sanitation and water project.
According to the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, an additional funding support of $120m from the World Bank has been secured towards the expansion of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area(GAMA) project to GKMA – aimed at addressing sanitation and water challenges.
Madam Abena Dapaah, at an orientation workshop for the media on the Greater Kumasi Sanitation and Water project, mentioned that an amount of $50m had been allocated to build household and institutional toilet facilities.
In addition, the project will provide 12,000 institutional toilets facilities for schools and health centres, and also extend water supply to 5,000 low income areas within the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area.
Other components of the project also seek to expand and rehabilitate the Asafo Sewerage System, and educate stakeholders like the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies and the Ghana Education Service on how to maintain the projects in good conditions.
Dignity of citizenry
And according to her, the Akufo-Addo led government believes that meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (6) is not just improving environmental hygiene but also promoting the dignity of the citizenry.
“Following the successful implementation of the parent project in Accra (GAMA), President Akufo-Addo has helped the Ministry, in a very short period, to secure $120m for this project in GKMA. It has always been his priority to make Ghana one of the cleanest countries in Africa, and that is why we are finding pragmatic solutions to our sanitation challenges,” the Minister said.
“Water supply in GKMA is not the best, and the project will ensure that the quantum of water will be improved no matter the number of pipelines laid,” she added.
ING. Kwadwo Gyasi, from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, disclosed that the project targets at least 180,000 beneficiaries.
He explained that cost of the modernised toilet facilities had been subsidized, and therefore beneficiaries will pay one-third out of the entire cost of a toilet facility.
“Under this project, the cost of a stand-alone toilet will cost you Ghs1, 200, instead of the full cost of Ghs 4,500, and a standard will cost Ghs 700 instead of Ghs 2,400 on the average Ghanaian market. The bio digester toilet facilities have better features as compared to the usual KVIPs. These amounts are to be paid at the Assemblies in full or in installment,” he said.
Master plan
The Project Coordinator, George Asiedu, stated that the project is being implemented through the Project Coordinating Unit of the Ministry and the Ghana Water Company.
He added that the steering committee comprises of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, the eight Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies that fall within the GKMA, CONWAS representative, a representative from the Manhyia Palace and other stakeholders.
ING. Somuah Tinkorang, from the Ghana Water Company, stated that an Update Urban Master Plan will be done for GKMA, where pipeline improvement work of at least 120km and 10,000 Nr. NSCs will be laid.
He further mentioned that under the efficiency improvement programme, Gh 5 will be charged per a cubic meter instead of the regular Gh 28 at the standpipes in the communities.
“Therefore, new services connect desk will be opened in communities where everyone can be registered. The flat fee is Ghs 200 and then you get connected. We expect to connect 5,000 households from October to April 2021,” he said.
According to the Ministry, contract approvals and promotional activities for these projects will start in October this year.
A rapid assessment done by the Ministry in March 2021 showed that out of the 7,141 households assessed, 70% of all dwellings were compound houses and 51% of the households were not having any form of toilet facility.
The assessment revealed that eight out of ten households in the GKMA that do not have toilet facilities were compound houses.
