Mahama's Bold Move: Decentralizing Ghana's Sanitation Budget

Ghana to Decentralize Sanitation Budget: President Mahama's Plan to Empower Districts and Improve Cleanliness Ghana's President John Mahama recently announced a pivotal plan to revolutionize the nation's sanitation system. The core of the proposal involves decentralizing the sanitation budget, shifting responsibility for local cleanliness from the national level to individual districts. This move is intended to address long-standing concerns about the current system's efficiency and the alleged exploitation of workers by private companies contracted for sanitation services. "We will soon meet on a decentralization of the sanitation budget and make every district responsible for its own sanitation," President Mahama stated in a recent address, a key excerpt captured in a video released by JoyNews. The video shows the president addressing a gathering, emphasizing that this initiative will not be merely symbolic. Instead, it will be legally backed, appropriately funded, and implemented through collaborations with local assemblies. This shift is expected to enhance accountability and empower local communities to take ownership of their sanitation challenges. The government aims to make cleanliness a key performance indicator, directly impacting the performance evaluations of district officials. The plan includes a revived monthly "National Sanitation Day," engaging all Ghanaians in collective cleanliness efforts. This initiative promises to bring about significant improvements in Ghana's sanitation infrastructure and practices, fostering a cleaner and healthier environment for the nation's citizens.