Ghana’s waste management system is teetering on the brink of collapse as private service providers threaten to shut down operations by November 7, 2025 over government’s failure to release outstanding arrears.
The Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) says the delayed payments have pushed many of its members into severe financial distress, risking a national sanitation and public health crisis if the situation persists.
“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,” warned Madam Ama Ofori Antwi, Executive Secretary of ESPA.
She disclosed that waste companies had relied on loans and credit from banks, suppliers, and other partners to sustain operations over the years, but those sources of support had now dried up. Many firms, she added, were being threatened with court action by creditors.
At a crowded news conference in Accra on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 Madam Ofori Antwi said ESPA had repeatedly engaged with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, as well as relevant parliamentary committees, to facilitate payment to members, but to no avail.
“ESPA has engaged with the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, as well as relevant parliamentary committees, to facilitate payment to our members,” she explained, adding that the efforts had yielded little progress.
She, therefore, called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, pay all arrears owed to service providers through the Ministry of Finance to prevent a nationwide shutdown.
In addition, Madam Ofori Antwi urged the government to undertake a policy review of the Sanitation and Pollution Levy, so it could serve as a dedicated fund to sustain the country’s waste management infrastructure.
“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 stressed.
She further appealed to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to review the existing fixed cost recovery rates paid to waste collectors, transporters and transfer station operators, saying the current rates had become “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 pointed out.
Despite the looming crisis, ESPA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting President John Dramani Mahama’s re-launch of the National Sanitation Day, describing it as a vital step in sustaining public hygiene efforts.
ESPA, a coalition of private waste management companies, partners with government and local authorities to promote efficient, sustainable, and inclusive environmental services across Ghana.
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