The Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) is calling on government to constitute a National Sanitation Authority (NSA) that will enable the country fight all sanitation related issues creditably.
This according to the CONIWAS chairman Mr. Yaw Attah Arhin, will help tackle defaulters of all sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices that currently serves as a threat to the country.
Mr. Arhin who doubles as the WASH Technical Coordinator at World Vision International, noted that the Sanitation Ministry does not have any operational structure to implement policies at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly (MMDA) levels, hence the need to constitute an authority to play that crucial role.
“Coordination, planning and implementation of policies becomes easier when ministries have units at the grassroot level to execute its mandates”Mr. Attah Arhin indicated.
He made this known at the MOLE 32nd WASH conference, currently underway in Kumasi at the Anita hotel, justifying the need to set up the NSA to strengthen the institutional arrangement.
The 4days conference will provide information to participants on various WASH policies and programmes, advocate for the improvement of enabling framework for WASH in emergencies, and attract private sector investment with a view to improving WASH service delivery.
The annual conference brings together stakeholders in the WASH sector including Government, NGOs, CSOs and Academia on a yearly basis to proffer solutions for policy and practical change for sustainable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) delivery in line with national and international WASH and development policies.
Dignitaries in attendance include; Minister for sanitation and water resources, Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, H.E Kathleen Csaba, ambassador of Canada to Ghana, Mr. Pierre Laporte, Country Director World bank Ghana,Ms. Naziru Mawadatu, Child Sanitation Ambassador among several others.
Source:Fiilafmonline/ShawanaYussif
