Sand-winning destroying farmlands — MP

By Edmund Smith-Asante, PARLIAMENT HOUSE

The Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has said sand-winning is destroying many arable lands in the country.

He called Parliament’s attention to the destruction when he presented a statement on the floor of the House.

All Ghanaians to have access to clean water by 2030 – WaterAid

By Edmund Smith-Asante

International development charity, WaterAid, believes everyone in Ghana could gain access to clean drinking water by the year 2030.

It has therefore launched a new interactive map online, which shows that Ghana is on course to reaching the historic mark of everyone in the country having access to clean drinking water by 2030.

PURC says no funds for Community Service Committees

By Edmund Smith-Asante

Although the Act that established the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), enjoins it to establish Community Service Committees (CSCs) across the country, only three have been established to date. The three are in Wa, Obuasi and Takoradi.

Ghana government pledges access to water, sanitation and hygiene for all by 2025

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE

From left, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, World Bank Group President Dr. Jim Yong Kim and SWA Chair Mr John Agyekum Kufuor

The government has pledged to deliver universal access to safe drinking water, basic toilets and hygiene for all Ghanaians by 2025.

It has also made nine other commitments, which include better financing and coordination, renewal of the national water policy and conducting of a national study on access, for the hardest-to-reach.

30 communities benefit from €625 facility

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE

Thirty communities in three districts of the country, have been selected as beneficiaries of a three-year European Union (EC)- Non State Actors (NSA) water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facility worth €624,952.

This comprises €499,970 representing 80 per cent of the total amount from the EC and €124,982 making up a 20 per cent contribution from WaterAid Ghana (WAG), which secured the facility under the EC-NSA window in 2013.

‘Africa should develop solutions for its energy challenges’

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE, BACK FROM BRUSSELS

Ms Britta Thomsen (right) being interviewd by  Edmund Smith-Asante

The Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee, Ms Britta Thomsen, has advocated that Africa should develop local solutions for its energy challenges, instead of depending on Europe.

Ghana loses GH¢750m annually due to poor sanitation delivery

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE

Ghana is losing close to GH¢750 million per annum for poor sanitation service delivery, a 2011 World Bank Report has revealed.

The cost incurred is as a result of poor sanitation delivery arising from time spent on accessing water and sanitation facilities, deaths of both adults and children as a result of poor sanitation and girl school dropouts, among many other issues.