Report By: Ishmael Barfi
Stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector are calling on the government to allocate at least US$ 1.7 billion for WASH issues in the 2025 budget.
This demand comes as the sector continues to face significant challenges, including inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and limited access to safe water and sanitation services.
According to Ibrahim Musah, Head of Strategy, Policy, and Campaigns at WaterAid Ghana in press release ahead of the budget reading, the allocation is necessary to achieve universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene by 2030.
“The WASH sector has remained one of the least funded, with allocations below 1% of government expenditure since 2016,” Musah said. “We urge the government to prioritize the sector and allocate sufficient funds to address the challenges facing it.”
challenges facing the WASH Sector including inadequate Funding.
According to the release, the WASH sector has consistently received less than 1% of government expenditure since 2016.
Furthermorr, poor Infrastructure, where many water and sanitation facilities are in disrepair, leading to inefficient service delivery and limited Access to safe water and sanitation services, particularly in rural areas.
In addressing the above, stakeholders in the WASH sector are demanding an inncreased in Funding, at least allocate US$ 1.7 billion for WASH issues in the 2025 budget.
In addition, addressing Illegal Mining by providing funds to address the problem of illegal mining in water bodies, which poses a significant threat to water quality.
Also provide full funding for the National Adaptation Plan (NAPs) and National Determined Contributions (NDCs) for climate change to implement adaptation measures, climate cange mitigation.
The government’s vision for the WASH sector is “sustainable basic water and sanitation service for all by 2025.”
And to achieve this, the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources has committed to increasing public financing for improved access to safe and reliable water supply, eliminating open defecation, and developing solid and liquid waste infrastructure.
By allocating sufficient funds to the WASH sector, the government can ensure that Ghana achieves universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, promoting social equity, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
