Ghana’s waste management industry is facing a possible shutdown as the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) has issued a stern warning to the government to settle all outstanding arrears by November 7, 2025, or risk a nationwide sanitation and public health crisis.

At a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, the Executive Secretary of ESPA, Madam Ama Ofori Antwi, cautioned that waste management companies were on the brink of collapse due to severe financial strain caused by delayed payments.

She said many service providers, who had relied on bank loans, credit facilities, and supplier partnerships to sustain their operations, were now facing legal threats from creditors. “If immediate government attention and intervention are not provided, these compounded challenges could cripple Ghana’s waste management system in a few days’ time, reversing years of progress made in keeping our cities clean and protecting public health and the environment,” she warned.

According to Madam Ofori Antwi, the Association has engaged the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, as well as relevant parliamentary committees, to push for the release of funds, but the efforts have so far yielded little success. “We are, therefore, calling on the government to, as a matter of urgency, make payment to avoid shutdown by November 7, 2025,” she appealed.

The ESPA has urged the Ministry of Finance to fast-track the disbursement of all pending payments to its members, stressing that the delay has become unsustainable for private waste companies that play a crucial role in national sanitation management.

Madam Ofori Antwi also called for a comprehensive policy review of the Sanitation and Pollution Levy to establish a dedicated fund to support the sector’s financial stability. 

“There has been an absence of a dedicated budgetary allocation for waste management over the years. The sector’s financial sustainability, therefore, remains at risk, with the possibility of service disruptions if urgent attention is not given,” she noted.

She further appealed to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to review the current fixed cost recovery rates paid to waste collectors, transporters, and transfer station operators, describing the existing rates as “economically unsustainable.” “A fair and realistic adjustment is essential to ensure business viability and the continued provision of effective sanitation services across the country,” she added.

Despite the growing tensions between waste contractors and government agencies, Madam Ofori Antwi reiterated ESPA’s support for President John Dramani Mahama’s renewed National Sanitation Day campaign. She said the initiative had revitalised public awareness about environmental cleanliness, but warned that without adequate financial support for waste management companies, the gains could quickly be eroded.

ESPA is a coalition of private waste management firms that work in partnership with government institutions and local authorities to deliver efficient, sustainable, and inclusive environmental services nationwide.