Stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector have reiterated the need to effectively engage the private sector to achieve the country's sustainable sanitation goals.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6.2 aims at achieving access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030.
The stakeholders highlighted the need for investments in sanitation and hygiene service delivery covering; solid and liquid waste management services, direct construction of latrines and toilets for households, management of dumpsites, and sale of sanitation hardware and pre-fabricated materials.
They made the recommendations during a Private Sector Engagement Forum at Kasoa in the Central Region.
The event, which was hosted by Intervention Forum (IF), is under the Voice for Change Partnership Programme (V4CP), a five-year advocacy programme, which is being implemented by SNV Netherlands Development Organisation.
The forum created an avenue to determine the next critical step in Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly's (ASEMA) sanitation and hygiene agenda.
Madam Nora Ollennu, Chief Executive Officer of IF, noted that since the era of the Millennium Development Goals, the private sector was expected to play a critical role in addressing sanitation challenges.
She said nonetheless, its participation in the delivery of WASH services was limited so far, especially in low-income areas, and this was a major bane to the achievement of key development targets at various levels.
"We are now in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where the stakes are much higher; presently, global emphasis is on Universal Access to Water and Sanitation for All by 2030", she added.
Madam Ollennu said it was more evident than ever that this target would forever remain a pipe-dream unless there was an influx of vibrant private sector players who could seize the moment and make incursions into the WASH sector.
Madam Theresa Swanzy-Baffour, SNV, V4CP WASH Advisor, urged ASEMA to create a data base of all private sector organisations or people they want to partner with; to ensure they identify what was available and what the private sector could actually use to support.
"The discussion has always been about pushing for efforts to achieve SDGs 2030, however, the private sector does not understand what goes into achieving the 2030 goal," she asked.
Madam Swanzy-Baffour emphasised on the need to know their capacity, particularly pointing out the indicators, what they could contribute to ensure that Ghana was able to achieve that goal.
Mr Sampson Quaye Agbavitor, Environmental Health Officer at Kasoa - Adam Nana Zonal Council said sanitation was ever challenging at Kasoa because more people from far and near plied their trade on daily basis there by creating more solid and liquid waste.
He said this was putting pressure on the existing limited waste management companies and Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly in respect to waste management.
He said among its solid waste management challenges were; inadequate of litter bins for clients from their service providers; and non-payment of the assembly's franchised fee by the solid waste service providers from January 2019 till date.
Mr George Yaw Kyei, Chairman of the Ghana Society of the Physically Challenged, also urged ASEMA to empower Assembly Members within the Municipality to supervise clean up exercises; saying, people who refuse to participate should be fined.
He said to sustain the gains made through the promotion of environmental promotion, logistical support and infrastructure development should be provided.
IF is one of the four local implementing partner Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the WASH component and has been tasked to implement the project in ASEMA.
The Ghana WASH component of V4CP, themed: "Ghana Sanitation and Hygiene for ALL", comes in on the back of numerous policy implementations and financing gaps, which have thwarted the provision of improved sanitation and hygiene services across the country.
The programme keenly recognises that it is fundamental for the private sector to interact with government and civil society within the hybrid space to ensure the delivery of improved, efficient, equitable, affordable and sustainable sanitation and hygiene services to the ordinary citizen.