CONIWAS Makes a Strong Case for the Establishment of National Sanitation Authority as it Gears up for Mole XXX Conference, 2019

The Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) is making a strong case for government to establish National Sanitation Authority.

This according to the coalition will among others help enhance government’s efforts in the fight to promote clean environment across the country.

Speaking during a media launch of this year’s Mole XXX Conference in Accra, Vice Chairman of CONNIWAS, Yaw Atta Arhin said it will be out of place for a a Sanitation Ministry to be established without an agency to help implement policies from the Ministry.

The establishment of the National Sanitation Authority, Mr. Atta Arhin contends will be inconformity with other agencies under the various Ministries in the country.

He therefore urged government to ensure that the coalition’s proposal is adopted since it is crucial in the attainment of a clean environment across the country.

The Mole XXX

This year’s conference will be held on the theme: “Thirty Years of Multi Stakeholder Dialogue on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; Reflections and Prospects.

It is scheduled for 4^th – 8^th November, 2019 at the Volta Serene Hotel, Ho, Volta Region and the meeting will start at 8:30 AM each day.

According to organizers of the conference, its objectives among others hinges on civil society’s role in stimulating development and implementation of actionable policies, plans and programmed for achieving improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene, working actively in partnership with Government, Development Partners and the Private Sector.

Meanwhile, organizers of the conference said the event have played a key role in various institutional reforms in Ghana’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector.

According to them some of the achievements of the conference are the de-coupling of rural water supply from the functions of the then Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation, culminating in the establishment of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency.

This, they argue has made it possible for majority of rural communities in the country to gain access to improved drinking water today adding that proposals from conference over the years are also believed to have influenced and increased profile of WASH especially during the early 2000s, when a dedicated Directorate was created within the then Ministry of Works and Housing and currently an entire Ministry has been established to focus on sanitation and water resources.

Story By: Henry George Martinson/radiogoldlive.com