The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has called for more companies to venture into biological waste management in the country.
Mr Herbert Edem Kpodo, Principal Programme Officer, EPA, Tema, said the agency has taken steps to ensure that waste segregation is paramount in health facilities; however, the unavailability of companies to manage biological waste is limiting their efforts.
“We need a lot of companies to venture into biological waste management; we have a lot of them in general waste; if we have a lot of them also in biological waste management, they should be able to pick up the waste in its segregated forms and send it to where they’ll dispose of it finally,” he stated.
He told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that biological wastes were very dangerous to human health and were highly inappropriate for any kind of waste management company to manage, hence the need for qualified personnel to handle them.
He mentioned that the high cost of managing biological waste had been a contributing factor to companies not going into biological waste management and, if not addressed with immediate effect, would have a negative impact on the overall health of citizens.
Mr Kpodo suggested that there should be government policies with some form of incentive to encourage companies to venture into waste management, adding that this move, when addressed well, could raise a lot of funds for the country.
The EPA Tema Principal Programme Officer urged Ghanaians to question facilities for not segregating the waste appropriately, and where the facility is recalcitrant to adhere to the rules, they should not hesitate to report to the agency for the necessary actions to take place.
On Friday, August 11, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took a decisive action by revoking the permit of Non-Ferus Metal company in Tema East and subsequently shutting down its operations due to a series of severe environmental violations.
The enforcement was led by Dr. Henry Kokofu, the Executive Director of the EPA, who directed a taskforce to ensure compliance with EPA regulations pertaining to environmental hazards.
Dr. Kokofu revealed that the Non-Ferus Metal company had been engaging in nighttime pollution of the environment and demonstrated a lack of proper safety measures for its workers, thus subjecting them to exposure to hazardous acidic substances and lead.
During interactions with the company’s staff, Dr. Kokofu reassured them that the intervention was intended for their well-being and aimed to facilitate comprehensive investigations into the company’s practices.
“All that we are saying is that we are here to ensure the safety of the environment and the health of the people including your officers and employers. We are not here to mar anybody’s business, but we cannot allow this magnitude of pollution to go on. You the workers are being subjected to and exposed to hazards… You are so precious to the country Ghana, you are sons of Ghana. You deserve to work in a very congenial environment. We are afraid that you might have been exposed to substances like lead, so we are going to bring in the public health to test each one of you at the expense of the company to ensure that none of you is having any health issues.”
“Again we will temporarily close down the factory and summon the owners to the head office in Accra to come and explain why they are working under these conditions, and then we will prescribe what needs to be done. Once they are able to do it, we allow them to do it. We are not going to allow operations in this situation. It is dangerous for your health and the environment so kindly cooperate with us in this direction,” he stated.
The Coordinating Dean of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Obuasi campus, Prof. Richard Buamah, has revealed that plastic garbage makes about 85% of all marine debris.
He warned that the dire situation does not seem to be ending and could triple in the coming years if proper measures are not put in place to curb it.
“Currently, plastics account for 85 percent of all marine litter. By 2040, it will nearly triple, adding 23 to 37 million metric tonnes of waste to the ocean per year. This seems to be about 50 kilogrammes of plastic waste per metre of coastline. Due to these, all-marine lives face grave risks of behavioural disorder, starvation, and suffocation.”
Prof. Buamah said this when he addressed a durbar of chiefs, pupils, and stakeholders at Obuasi to mark this year’s World Environment Day, organised by AngloGold Ashanti.
He bemoaned that the use of single-use plastic is on the rise, stating that the chemicals used in its production have harmful effects on the environment and have been linked to certain diseases.
“It is an established fact that more than 10,000 chemicals are used in these plastics, of which 25 percent are potentially dangerous and linked to diseases like cancer and diabetes,” he added.
Meanwhile, during the celebration, Senior Manager of Sustainability, Environment for AngloGold Ashanti, George Owusu-Ansah, indicated that the mine has partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other stakeholders to enhance environmental sustainability on plastic waste management.
The partnership forms parts of AngloGold’s 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) on environmental sustainability, which seeks to treat plastic waste as a valuable resource rather than waste.
This year’s World Environment Day focused on tackling plastic pollution through a campaign dubbed ‘Beat plastic pollution’, in an effort to raise awareness, mobilise action and promote environmental sustainability.
Mr. Owusu-Ansah said plastic waste is one of the leading environmental challenges globally today, and that AngloGold is making a positive contribution toward an enduring world by being responsible stewards of the environment in which they operate.
Highlighting some impactful projects to protect the environment, Mr. Owusu-Ansah said the company has also impacted the community through good waste management practices, pollution prevention, and the release of treated water for public consumption.
The company has since its commencement of operations in 2019 streamlined operations in environmental management and has successfully been certified by the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System.
Obuasi Municipal Head of EPA, Prempeh Adarkwaa Yiadom, for his part, encouraged the use of reusable items.
Some items made from waste plastic are on display Awards
Awards worth GH₵600,000 were given to schools, individuals, and organisations that excelled in the campaign against the disposal of plastic waste. The awards included laptops, tabletop computers, dustbins, shovels, wheelbarrows, school bags, books, flat-screen televisions, and T-shirts, among other items.
An exhibition on plastic waste recycling by schoolchildren who turned waste plastic into usable materials was also held.
The Volta Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Hope Smith Lomotey has announced that his department will soon shut down unlicensed churches and drinking spots.
He also called on churches whose licenses have expired to renew their permits to enable them to continue with their operations.
In a Daily Graphic report, Mr Lomotey explained that the move has become necessary to help reduce noise from some churches located at unauthorized places.
According to him, prolonged noise was a public health issue and needed to be addressed.
He said this in an interview with Daily Graphic after EPA had a meeting with church leaders in the Volta region on issues of building permits and noisemaking.
“The same goes for drinking spot operators,” he added.
The director said “Apart from hearing impairment, loud noise could also cause high blood pressure, heart diseases, sleep disorders and stress for people within the neighbourhood,” Daily Graphic reported.
He said the permitted noise level in the day was from 6 am to 10 pm.
For residential areas, 55 decibels and 48 decibels are the permitted noise level during the night.
The Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA) has threatened to close down unlicensed churches operating in the Volta Region.
EPA’s Director in the Volta Region, Hope Smith Lomotey, said some of the churches deliberately start operating before applying to be regularised.
He warned they will not tolerate the illegality regardless of the institution involved.
Mr Lomotey said they’ll strictly enforce the required standards for operating a church under the EPA’s regulations.
He explained that the move is also to address complaints of excessive noise caused by the unauthorised churches.
“Some [Churches] have applied for permits, others have not, so we are regularising those who have not. The challenge we have is that most of these churches, they establish before they apply for regularisation.
“But you are supposed to apply, and then after the application, we check and see if the place is conducive enough for such a facility.”
TheEnvironmental Protection Agency(EPA) has announced that it will close churches in the Volta Region that operate without a permit.
In an interview with the media, the Director of EPA in the Volta Region, Hope Smith Lomotey, said the move by EPA was necessitated after some churches in the region failed to comply with the required standards of operating a church under the EPA’s regulations.
Mr. Lomotey also noted that, although some churches have acquired permits to operate in authorized areas, they are yet to renew their permits and may also be affected by the Agency’s enforcement.
According to him, churches must apply for a permit before establishing their churches.
He added that the move is also to address complaints of excessive noise caused by churches in unauthorized locations causing nuisance to residents, especially at night.
“Some [Churches] have applied for permits, others have not, so we are regularising those who have not. The challenge we have is that most of these churches, they establish before they apply for regularisation.
“But you are supposed to apply, after the application, we check and see if the place is conducive enough for such a facility.”
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has threatened to shut down churches in the Volta Region that are functioning illegally and without an authorization from the organization.
The agency claims that it only authorized churches to operate in particular regions of towns.
Churches must renew their licences on a regular basis, according to Hope Smith Lomotey, the EPA’s Volta Regional Director, in order to maintain their operations.
He said that action was required as a result of a recent spike in the number of unpermitted churches being built in the area, disturbing neighbors with noise and other types of disturbance, particularly at night.
The director was speaking to the Daily Graphic in Ho after the agency had ended a series of meetings with about 200 church leaders in the region on issues of building permit and noisemaking.
Among those engaged were the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), the Christian Council of Ghana, the National Association of Charismatic Churches and the National Clergy Association Ghana (NACAG).
Rationale
Mr Allotey said that the discomfort of prolonged noise was a public health issue, for which reason the agency would not look on unconcerned when churches or other groups carried out such lawless acts with impunity.
“The same goes for drinking spot operators,” he added.
The director said apart from hearing impairment, loud noise could also cause high blood pressure, heart diseases, sleep disorders and stress for people within the neighbourhood.
He said the permitted noise level in the day (6a.m.-10p.m.) for residential areas was 55 decibels and 48 decibels during the night.
Adherence
In one of the meetings in Ho, the Vice-Chairman of the GPCC, Apostle Dr Dela Quampah, urged churches to respect the laws of the land and adhere to building regulations.
He said Christians must be law-abiding at all times and also desist from noisemaking.
Apostle Dr Quampah also expressed misgivings over what he described as noisy public address systems on roofs of some church buildings.
He said such equipment were contributing to noisemaking and must, therefore, be restricted.
A Strategic Environmental Assessment(SEA), on the creation of a petroleum hub inGhana has been released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The findings and recommendations in the report will be incorporated into the strategic decision-making process and guide the establishment of the hub.
To ensure that the establishment of the Petroleum Hub does not destroy the Fauna and Flora of the area which is close to the Ankasa forest reserve the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA launched a Strategic Environmental Assessment report to sensitize decision-makers about the environmental impacts of the facility.
Speaking at the SEA Report Launch the Chief Executive of EPA Mr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu explains the need for the report saying that this will serve as a roadmap to ensure that PHDC’s activities do not affect the environment.
Deputy Executive Director of EPA, Dr. Christine Asare said the Petroleum Hub will be a high monitoring and evaluation area to ensure that the necessary steps are taken to secure the environment.
Chief Executive of PHDC Charles Owusu said the Report is timely as the PHDC is engaging stakeholders and the community in decision-making during the plan preparation process.
PETROLEUM HUB
The Petroleum Hub Development Corporation, PHDC is a megaproject in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Nzema Traditional Council in the Western Region.
The hub is expected to be a leading integrated petroleum complex that will add value to the upstream and downstream oil and gas value chain in Africa.
The petrochemical facility will cover 20, thousand acres of land and will house a complex web of onshore, offshore and ancillary assets. It will comprise three refineries, five Petrochemical Plants, Shared Storage Interconnected and Jetties with Port infrastructure.
The development of the Petroleum Hub in Jomoro will accelerate the growth of the petroleum downstream sub-sector and make it a major player in the economy.
The Petroleum Hub development will increase the presence of major international oil trading and storage companies, create regional trading champions, and encourage joint ventures between local and international companies for knowledge transfer and wealth creation.
It will also provide the country with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities for power production and drive the growth of various industries including petrochemicals.
The development of the Petroleum Hub is expected to transform Ghana’s economy and is projected to create more than 780,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2030.
RECOMMENDATIONS
PHDC must develop and implement an Integrated Biodiversity Management Plan, IBMP with consideration for Gender, the Vulnerable and Excluded/Marginalised.
The Riparian Buffer Zone Policy for the management of water bodies and wetlands within the Petroleum Hub must be implemented.
Compliance with industrial pollution control limits must be ensured by the necessary collaborators.
Operations of the Hub are likely to negatively impact the health and safety of the workers and the people living in the nearby communities, including climate change impacts. The Factories Offices and Shops Act, 1970 (Act 328) enjoins factories, offices, and shops to indicate welfare facilities provided, notification of operational accidents and illnesses, health and welfare standards, safety measures, complaints related to dangerous conditions and practices and related matters in Ghana.
The Monitoring and evaluating emission levels. Resettlement and compensation which must be adequate and timely including land ownership, acquisition and conflicts.
Alternative Livelihood and Support Schemes such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) must be extended to cover affected groups and individuals who cannot be trained in alternative livelihood schemes especially the aged, women, the vulnerable and the excluded/marginalized.
Inadequate capacity of locals to participate in the development and implementation of the Petroleum Hub activities. The establishment of the Petroleum Hub will have significant economic benefits for Ghana. The key issues identified under the economic pillar include the inadequate capacity of locals to participate in the development of the Petroleum Hub and the creation of jobs and the prevention of job losses.
Develop and implement capacity-building programmes including relevant technical and vocational skills for the locals, CSOs, academia, Traditional Authorities (TAs), and Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), among others with consideration for women, the vulnerable and the excluded/marginalized.
Establish an integrated waste management system within the JMA and the Petroleum Hub under a framework for zero impact philosophy and maximizing local content.
Ensure continuous transboundary dialogue to prevent any potential security threats and conflicts.
Cultural heritage issues are held in high esteem within the communities and could lead to conflicts if not properly managed. It is advised that the PHDC should work with TAs and local communities to develop unambiguous guidelines on cultural heritage issues to inform potential investors.
The campaign intends to raise public knowledge of the dangerous cargo signs and to warn passersby, drivers of cars, and haulage truck operators. This is done to improve traffic safety and avert accidents that could have been avoided.
The GSA, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has developed material on the nine (9) classes of dangerous cargo and developed a nationwide sensitisation programme. These are Explosives, Gases, Flammable Liquids, Flammable Solids, Oxidising Substances, and Organic Peroxide. The rest are Toxic and Infectious waste, Radioactive materials, Corrosive substances, and Miscellaneous dangerous goods not covered by other classes, such as Lithium battery packs in equipment.
Already, the GSA has engaged its Transit Shipper Committee – made up of the Joint Association of Port Transport Unions (JAPTU), Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA), Ghana Link, State Insurance Commission (SIC), Ghana Highways Authority, Freight Forwarders among others – on its sensitization plans. Also, posters and placards of the signages will be made available for JAPTU to use in sensitizing its members, mostly haulage truck drivers. Promotional activation will be done on social media to target the public and motorists.
Chairman of the Transit Shipper Committee and Head of the Freight and Logistics Department, Mr. Fred Asiedu Dartey, speaking at the fourth-quarter Transit Shipper Committee meeting said: “To ensure the issue of safety in transporting dangerous goods is taken seriously, the Authority is considering the possibility of having a trainer of trainers workshop for leadership of JAPTU in the first quarter of 2023 so that they can also train their members on the dos and don’ts of transporting dangerous cargo”.
The representatives of JAPTU present at the meeting commended the GSA and expressed their readiness to avail themselves of future sensitization programmes.
Parliament has approved GH¢114.78 million for the implementation of programmes and activities of the Ministry of Information and its agencies for the 2023 financial year.
For fiscal year 2022, the sum of GH¢151.89 million was appropriated by the House to the Ministry of Information and its agencies, which was later revised to GH¢ 143.30 million.
Out of the revised budget, the Ministry and its agencies expended a total of GHC90.38 million as of the end of November 2022.
The policy objectives in line with the Ministry’s National Medium-Term Development Plan (2022-2025) include deepening democratic governance, strengthening transparency and public accountability, and promoting the fight against corruption and economic crimes.
Vincent Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, who moved the motion for the approval of the Ministry’s budgetary allocation, said in his comment on GBC’s debt issues before the court that public resources could not be used to settle that and, therefore, the Corporation had to generate resources to settle that.
“…And, therefore, working with the Board and Management of GBC, we have been exploring ways by which an arrangement can be made to settle a part of the outstanding (debts), and then moving forward, there will be a new arrangement that will be in consonance with the law put in place,” he said.
“So, Mr. Speaker, we expect that between these two extremes, we would be able to bring an end to the annual debt issues of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.”
Mr. Sylvester Matthew Tetteh, the Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communication, and New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ngleshie-Amanfro, said the Committee noted the achievement of the Ministry of Information regarding the government flagship programmes (GOVCOM) being implemented by the Ministry.
He said the programmes being implemented comprised the Minister’s Press Briefing, Mass Media Campaigns, Reach on Social Media, Nation Building Updates, and Amplified.
He said it was, however, noted that out of the Ministry’s request of six million Ghana cedis submitted to the Ministry of Finance for the implementation of the GOVCOM activities in 2023, only a paltry sum of GH¢600,000.00 (representing 10 per cent) had been allocated; stating that the Committee considered these programmes very critical to consolidate the nation’s democracy and good governance and should be continued.
“In this regard, the Committee implores the Ministry of Finance to source additional funding to sustain the implementation of the programmes.”
He said the committee noted the precarious financial circumstances of the Ministry of Information and its agencies, especially the GBC, and accordingly, strongly requested the Ministry of Finance to arrange additional funding to support their operations in 2023.
Contributing to the debate on the Motion, Mr Alhassan Bashir Alhassan Fuseini, the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communication, and National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Sagnarigu, said the Information Ministry had the onerous responsibility of having to sensitise the people of the country about Government Policies and programmes, as well as serving as the feedback.
He said the government could have the best of intentions; however, it still had to get the mechanisms for conveying that information to the people.
He said many of the agencies under the Ministry were dealing with obsolete equipment and that there was a need for the government to do more to retool them.
Mr. Iddrisu Haruna, the Minority Leader in Parliament and NDC MP for Tamale South, noted in his contribution that the Minister of Information needed support in order to communicate the government and its policies well.
He said he was disappointed at what he was seeing in terms of budgetary allocation and budgetary resources for the Ministry of Information.
He called for the repositioning of the GBC, like the BBC and CNN, to make sure that the GBC itself functioned more effectively on a digital platform.
The minority leader said GBC was very capable of making it if given the needed support by the government.
John Allotey, Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, who announced this said, “The Koforidua site has been identified and it has been fenced whilst we are waiting for approval from the Environmental Protection Agency.”
He added that “The Tamale site has been identified and the designs are being prepared and once they are ready, we will do the necessary consultations and start the practical work and the infrastructure.”
During the awards, 18 staff members of the Forestry Commission were given meritorious awards for their commitment and dedication to the organisation over the years, where they received citations, television sets, refrigerators, and unspecified amount of money.
The country already has two zoos located in Accra and Kumasi, and the Accra Zoo had recently undergone refurbishment while the Kumasi zoo is currently undergoing refurbishment.
Mr Allotey encouraged members of the public home and abroad to visit the zoos to achieve the intended purpose.
He touched on this year’s Green Ghana project and said 26.5 million seedlings were distributed, and three months after the exercise, staff of the Commission “At the district and regional levels have been able to confirm and verify that 24.5 million seedlings have been planted.”
He said “The Forest Services Division under the Plantation Development and Management Strategy was tasked to plant 25,000 hectares of plantation annually. Through the dedication of our staff, 18,887 hectares, representing 76 per cent, have been developed as of October, this year.”
He spoke about timber extraction and indicated “The total amount or volume of timber that has been extracted so far from the natural forest is 1.5 million cubic metres. This is made up of 1.3 million on reserve and 200,000 off reserve. As well, 142,000 cubic meters have been extracted from our plantation resources.”
Mr Allotey spoke about plans to strengthen reporting on the Commission’s activities from the regional levels, saying the Commission planned to have at least one public relations officer per region.
“To be able to report on activities that are happening in the various regions. We realised most of the activities happening in the regions are not reported on time and we will designate staff as public relations personnel and will be trained to be able to report on activities in the regions.”
Mr Benito Owusu Bio, a Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, expressed need for efforts to ensure that trees planted under the Green Ghana project grew well.
“As we approach the dry season, we need to put in extra efforts to fight wildfires from destroying the trees, especially in the fragile savannah ecological area.”
Professor Seidu Al-hassan, Vice-Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS) whose speech was read on his behalf, expressed need for more collaboration between government and other stakeholders to guarantee success of the Green Ghana project.
He said the UDS had facilitated the planting of 3,547 seedlings as part of the Green Ghana project, announcing that the UDS would soon launch its West Africa Centre for Shea Innovation Research to help promote sustainable innovations in the shea sector through evidence-based research and policy advocacy to improve the livelihoods of the people.
Ya-Na Abukari (II), Overlord of Dagbon, whose speech was read on his behalf, pledged to support the Forestry Commission to ensure that trees planted were nurtured to maturity.
The Ahafo Regional Director of EPA, Dr Jackson Adiyiah Nyantakyi, in a presentation said human retailers were exposed to all sorts of risks, which resulted in loss of human lives and properties, thus the need for the training workshop.
He noted that hazards at fuel retail points included fuelling a car while the engine was on, smoking around a tank farm, making phone calls and charging of electronic gadgets around dispensers, leaked tank and naked electric wire.
Dr Nyantakyi stated that fuel station business had become lucrative as prices of oil kept increasing but the rising number of explosions at filling stations in the country posed a serious concern to residents.
“The June 3, 2015 Accra explosion which killed about 154 people still lingers in the minds of Ghanaians. There is the need to be constantly watchful and careful. Safety protocols must be strictly observed,” he added.
The regional director indicated that risk activities at fuel stations resulted in fire outbreaks, air, surface water and land pollutions, flooding, loss of human lives and robbery incidence among others.
He entreated owners of fuel filling stations to ensure the strict enforcement of the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), prevention of rodents and noise pollution at the station and proper waste management.
Dr Nyantakyi stressed that “you must stick to the colour code, where red represent gasoline, green stands for high octane gasoline, light -blue for kerosene, black for Ago and yellow for high octane Ago, in order to prevent accidents”.
He urged the executives of the Ahafo Fuel Retailers Association (AFRA) to intensify sensitisation and awareness creation, strengthen supervision, recruit strong people and ensure safety protocols at the fuel stations.
The regional director warned that the licence of fuel stations who breached health and safety measures at their premises, would not be renewed coupled with other punishment saying that “prevention is always better than cure.”
Mr Stephen Boateng, the Chairman of AFRA, on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked the EPA for their routine inspection and training workshop, adding that “we will strictly adhere to all health and safety measures at our stations.”
The McCarthy Hills Residents Association held a press conference after revealing that the corporation was operating without the necessary licences from the relevant authorities, including the Environmental Protection Agency.
They also lamented the health dangers that the factory’s location caused to the neighborhood’s people.
The injunction which came into effect immediately will be in force until the final determination of a suit by the McCarthy Hill Residents Association.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Henry Kwabena Kokofu, noted that the company was producing cement instead of producing only cement bags.
He noted that the factory was producing and distributing cement without authorization.
The concept of loss and damage is for countries, which have contributed the most to climate change with their planet-warming emissions to pay poorer countries to recover from the resulting disasters.
The kilometres of roads, culverts and bridges that are washed away by severe floods due to high volume of rains are examples of loss and damage caused by climate crisis.
The inclusion of loss and damage financing to the agenda is a crucial prerequisite for making progress on addressing the issue, which will be the most consequential negotiation topic at the UN climate talks.
The Executive Director who described the move as a breakthrough said countries incurring losses due to climate impact could have a discussion and push for real action and results on loss and damage.
He stated that, “we need to see a clear commitment to finance loss and damage distinct from the $100 billion agreed annual climate finance.”
Dr Kokofu, who represented the Presidency of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, said COP27 must deliver for Africa and the most vulnerable.
There is a call for the process to conclude within two years and should not involve liability and compensation.
Developing countries and small Island states have been pressing for the funds since 1991 when the Pacific Island Vanuatu first proposed a plan for high-emitting countries to channel money toward those impacted by sea level rise.
It took more than a decade for the proposal to gain momentum, even as much of Vanuatu and other small island Pacific nations are slowly disappearing.
President and Chief Executive Officer, World Resources Institute, said: “At long last, providing funding to address losses and damages from climate impacts is on the agenda of the UN climate negotiations. With climate impacts devastating communities all around us, the international community can no longer avert its eyes from the deadly and costly consequences of a warming world.”
“Vulnerable nations have tirelessly appealed for help to cope with the alarming and damaging climate impacts that they hold little responsibility for causing. Today, countries cleared an historic first hurdle toward acknowledging and answering the call for financing to address increasingly severe losses and damages,” he said.
“We applaud the Egyptian presidency for accelerating this discussion to start the climate negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh on the right foot.”
“It is encouraging that countries agreed to a verbal statement that notes this process will reach a conclusive decision on funding arrangements within two years. Now negotiators need to set clear markers to ensure this process moves quickly, ideally concluding by next year given the urgency of the crisis,” he added.
Mr Dasgupta said: “Getting funding to address loss and damage on the agenda is only the first step. We still have a marathon ahead of us before countries iron out a formal decision on this central issue for CO27 and it is critical that all countries work together in good faith to get this done.”
Henceforth, any Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive in whose jurisdiction acts of environmental degradation are recorded will be sanctioned, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, has warned.
Noting that Ghana was deteriorating into the worst state of environmental destruction, Dr Kokofu said the time to crack the whip on environmental offenders is now.
Citing the recent floods and filths that engulfed some parts of the country, he stressed that stringent measures would be taken to punish offenders, irrespective of their position in government in accordance with the law.
Mr Kokofu who was speaking at a stakeholder engagement with Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts Assemblies (MMDAs) in Accra yesterday said it was the responsibility of state institutions to rather fish out persons guilty of committing environmental offences instead of looking on for the deterioration to continue.
He stated that the local government Act 2016 (Act936) placed a huge responsibility on the MMDAs to be responsible for the development, improvement and management of human settlement and the environment in the districts.
Explaining he said, section four of the Act also mandated the district assemblies to take the steps and measures that were necessary and expedient to execute approved development plans for their various districts.
Touching on the construction of edifices on waterways, the CEO stated that in the event of floods caused by the presence of such buildings, vulnerable people suffered alone when demolition exercises are carried out leaving authorities at the district assemblies who issued such permits to go scot free.
This, he said, was unfair, stressing that all persons responsible for playing roles which ended up resulting in any form of disaster must be made to face the law.
Mr Kokofu urged authorities of all district assemblies across the country to take environmental issues seriously by ensuring they went strictly according to the laws governing their operations.
“We must remind ourselves of our statutory roles to ensure that the environment in which we live is protected and preserved in order to sustain it,” he stressed.
Director in charge of environmental assessment and management, EPA, Mr Kwabena Badu-Yeboah, in his presentation indicated that the seeming lack of land use plans and development control, re-zoning issues, springing up of noise making within communities, development within wet lands and mangrove areas and the indiscriminate siting of activities like waste recycling in residential areas were all issues that affected the environment.
Touching on the negative impact of noise making, he charged residents of noisy areas to take persons and organisations responsible for the noise making, to court, including churches.
“There must be discipline and tranquility wherever human beings are but it seems impossible for this to happen within some communities in Ghana so I encourage residents to report noise makers to the relevant authorities. Sanity must be restored in the system,” he added.
He indicated that the EPA identified MMDAs as key stakeholders when it comes to sustainable development.
A total of 296 companies have so far been captured under the government’s flagship programme, One District One Factory (1D1F) as of September 2022, Kofi Addo, Lead Officer for 1D1F, Ministry of Trade and Industry has explained that the companies captured were either in operations, under construction or in the pipeline adding that the sector had many companies under its radial.
He revealed this during the inauguration of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly’s (TMA) District Implementation Support Team (DIST) which has membership from the Assembly, Ghana Standard Authority, Ghana Drug and Food Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana National Fire Service, Tema Regional Police Commander, and others.
He said out of the number, 125 were in operations, 144 were under construction while 27 were in the pipeline noting that those in the pipelines had all their documentation ready to start the construction for the project.
1D1F Lead Officer also said out of the 261 districts in Ghana, the programme had so far covered 52 percent of them and was working to capture the remaining 48 percent.
He stated that the Greater Accra Region had1D1F projects in 19 districts of which the Tema Metropolis had two companies benefitting.
Mr. Addo said the Ministry of Trade and Industry had a 10-point industrial promotion agenda, which the 1D1F was part, adding that others were the Strategic Anchor Projects, Business Regulatory Reform, Industrial Park and Special Economic Zones, and the Industrial Revitalization Programme, among others.
He mentioned that the key principles of the 1D1F include private sector driven, explaining that a district could have more than one factory under the programme, and support from the district implementation support team.
He added that an existing company could be captured under the 1D1F programme for expansion or creating of new subsidiary just like in the case of Pharmanova, Everpure and Kasapreko who have expanded to other areas with the help of the initiative.
“When you have people saying we are just bringing old companies under the programme, it is not true, we capture expansions, building of new structures, and totally new companies,” he explained.
The 1D1F Lead Officer added that two districts could also come together to have one company under the programme when they realized that their raw materials and other resources could not support full independent projects.
He said among its objectives were value addition, support in import substitution, support for export, industries support, as well as opening the country up for economic activities through which jobs would be created.
He said some incentives 1D1F companies received was five years’ corporate tax free, access to utilities, duty exemption (import duty, VAT, EXIM levy and NHIS levy) for all capital goods being imported for the project.
Mr. Addo also stated that agreement had been signed with 15 commercial banks, which ensured the capping of interest rate on loans for such companies at 20 percent to ensure stable funding for the project adding that the government also subsidized 10 percent of the interest rate for companies with majority Ghanaian owned shares.
Mr. Michael Okyere Baafi, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry (MOTI), on his part urged Ghanaians to embrace the programme, as it had come to stay as an important way to industrialize the country.
Mr. Baafi said Ghana had gotten to a stage, where it did not have a choice than to industrialize, stressing that industrialization must be a way of life for the people.
He added that “1D1F should be taken like Christianity, it must be a way of life for us, and just like social media it has come to stay.”
Mr. Yohane Amarh Ashitey, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive chairing the inauguration said he believed in allowing the private sector to lead in industrialization therefore his resolve to ensure that the 1D1F programme was utilize by many to get more industries in the metropolis in addition to existing ones.
Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Henry Kokofu ,has encouraged local contractors to stop hiring  foreign workers to carry out the projects that have been assigned to them.
Mr. Henry Kokofu, speaking on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” programme, noted that it has become a culture for some local businesses which win contracts from government to rather do the projects abroad and bring it into the country under the pretence that they did it themselves, instead of doing it themselves to create jobs for Ghanaians.
As a result, he disclosed that “this year, we won’t award contract for calendar any longer. When you give a contract for calendar hoping that it will be printed here (Ghana) so as to create jobs, once it’s awarded, then they will take and do it from abroad”.
Mr. Kokofu cautioned that this attitude must stop because it doesn’t help the nation.
