In a joint statement issued at a press conference at the end of the 30th Mole WASH Conference in Ho, the organisations welcomed Government's decision to establish the NSA and the NSF, and asked that non-state actors be involved "fully" in their design and implementation.

Mr Atta Arhin, Vice President of CONIWAS who delivered the statement, said the organisations believed that the nation was not handicapped in realising its dream of excelling in sanitation, health and prosperity, and would "only" require its leadership to demonstrate the needed will and commitment.

"We believe Ghana has the capacity to overcome these challenges and achieve the vision of clean healthy and prosperous nation if only Government will demonstrate political will and commitment to prioritising and increasing investment in the sector with the support of its developmental partners.

"We commend government for its bold decision to establish the National Sanitation Authority together with the National Sanitation Fund. We are convinced that the NSA will be the game changer and the panacea for addressing the numerous environmental challenges.

"We call on government as a matter of urgency to accelerate the establishment of the NSA and the NSF, and fully involve all non-state actors in their design and implementation," he said.

Mr Arhin commended government for the creation of a dedicated ministry for WASH, but said the sector had suffered drawbacks due to low investment in environmental sanitation and waste management, which kept indicators poorer.

He said the two organisations had committed to work together to ensure that environmental service delivery was made accessible to all, and would engage government on supporting local firms in the sector to improve service delivery.

Mr Arhin said government must provide increased finance for environmental sanitation, and also provide adequate infrastructure and support for waste treatment and recycling.

He said CONIWAS and ESPA would collaborate on promoting "a clean, healthy and prosperous Ghana where all citizens can realise their fullest potential.

"We encourage all stakeholders to take advantage of this historic partnership by creating the enabling environment for effective and efficient environmental sanitation services delivery".

The Mole conference, first held thirty years ago at the Mole National Park, has been credited with championing water and sanitation reforms in the country, leading to the establishment of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency.

The conference was on the theme "30 Years of Multi-Stakeholder WASH Dialogue: Reflections and Prospects".