As part of efforts to improve the issue of sanitation and pollution, the government has decided to introduce 10 pesewas on the price per litre of petrol/diesel under the Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA).
The Caretaker Finance Minister Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu disclosed this when he presented the 2021 budget statement on Friday, March 12, 2021.
He said notwithstanding the progress that we have made in the areas of sanitation and pollution, there is still a lot more to be done.
He specifically outlined what the government intends to do in this regard saying it will Improve urban air quality and combat air pollution; ii. Support the re-engineering of landfill sites at Kpone and Oti; iii. Support fumigation of public spaces, schools, health centres and markets; iv. Revamp/reconstruct poorly managed landfill facilities.
Also, the government wants to construct more sustainable state-of-the-art waste treatment plants both solid and liquid in selected locations across the country;
vi. Construct waste recycling and compost plants across the country; and also vii. Construct more sanitation facilities to accelerate the elimination of open defaecation.
viii.
Aside from these projects, the government wants to further construct final treatment and disposal sites for solid and liquid waste; ix. 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 generation of infectious diseases especially under the Coronavirus Treatment Programme.
The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs said these are all very critical investments that have to be made for the benefit and dignity of all Ghanaians.
“These will ensure sustainable sanitation management, improve the quality of life and reduce the number of deaths and diseases from poor sanitation.
To provide the requisite resources to address these challenges and fund these activities, Government is proposing a Sanitation and Pollution Levy (SPL) of 10 pesewas on the price per litre of petrol/diesel under the Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA),” he added.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com
