The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has charged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to use their internally generated funds, particularly property rates, to recruit sanitation workers and improve waste management.
The Minister made the call during an unannounced monitoring visit to the Korle Klottey and La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assemblies on Saturday December 12, aimed at assessing sanitation conditions ahead of the festive season.
Mr. Ibrahim stressed that while residents are encouraged to participate in periodic clean-up exercises such as National Sanitation Days, the responsibility for keeping communities clean rests primarily with the local assemblies.
He noted that MMDAs have access to internally generated funds, as well as the sanitation component of the District Assemblies Common Fund, which should be used to address sanitation challenges on a continuous basis.
According to the Minister, property rates collected from communities must be reinvested directly into waste clearance and environmental cleanliness to ensure effective sanitation at the source.
“Property rates used to be collected at the centre, but that responsibility has now been transferred to the assemblies. The property rates you collect must be used to clear waste and keep your communities clean,” he said.
The Minister urged assemblies to take full ownership of sanitation management, stressing that maintaining clean environments should not be limited to festive periods but sustained throughout the year.