The government is proposing a Sanitation and Pollution Levy of 10 pesewas on the price per litre of petrol/diesel under the Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA).

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Leader of Government Business, who announced this on Friday in the government’s budget presentation to Parliament, said the levy would help provide the requisite resources to fund other activities of sanitation and pollution.

The 2021 Budget was on the theme: “Consolidation, Completion and Continuation.”

He said notwithstanding the progress made in the areas of sanitation and pollution, there were still a lot more to be done.

“Improve urban air quality and combat air pollution, support the re-engineering of landfill sites at Kpone and Oti, support fumigation of public spaces, schools, health centres and markets, revamp/reconstruct poorly managed landfill facilities, construct more sustainable state-of-the-art waste treatment plants both solid and liquid in selected locations across the country,” the Minister said.

He said the government would construct waste recycling and compost plants across the country, construct more sanitation facilities to accelerate the elimination of open defecation, construct final treatment and disposal sites for solid and liquid waste.

“Government will also provide dedicated support for the annual maintenance and management of major landfill sites and other waste treatment plants and facilities across the country, and construct medical waste treatment facilities to prevent the generation of infectious diseases especially under the Coronavirus Treatment Programme.”

Mr Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu said the investments were critical for the benefit and dignity of Ghanaians and would ensure sustainable sanitation management, improve the quality of life and reduce the number of deaths and diseases from poor sanitation.