This piece is my Project Work on the Financing For Development MOOC Course organised by the World Bank Group/Coursera. It looks into the Sanitation situation in Ghana vis-a-vis the Millenium Development Goals (MDG's) and the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's). The case study is on Ghana's Public Public Partnership approach to dealing with the sanitation challenge. Specific reference was made to Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the Leading name in Waste Management in Ghana and probably the Sub-Region.

1. MEETING THE “SANITATION FOR ALL” GOAL: GHANA’S PUBLIC PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIP MODEL
Ghana is one of the many countries which have made steady progress in the achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s). Nevertheless,there is still room for improvement in some
areas especially employment, women involvement in government, child mortality and sanitation (Ghana
MDG Report 2015). Now that the MDG, have dovetailed into the new Sustainable Development Goals
(SDG’s), the big question is, how will this West African nation fare?
According to the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation
of UNICEF and WHO access on the above twin goals is as follows:
Urban
(51% ofthe population)
Rural
(49% ofthe population)
Total
Water[1]
Broad definition 91% 80% 86%
House connections 33% 3% 18%
Sanitation[1]
Broad definition
6
9%
6% 14%
Sewerage ? ? ?
In July this year,a WHO-UNICEF report indicated that Ghana’s performance on Sanitation has slipped
drastically even though, its goals on Access to Water was achieved way ahead of time.
The Joint Monitoring Programme report, “Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2015 Update and
MDG Assessment,” a collaborative effort between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United
Nations Children’s Fund, says that the challenge to access improved sanitation is starker in Ghana,
“which has slipped even further amongst the worst performing countries, now ranked 7th worst globally.”
The report also says that it is critical to learn from the uneven progress of the 1990-2015 period, to ensure
that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), close the inequality gaps and achieve universal access to
water and sanitation.

2. Way Forward
But the big question is, can the Government and Development Partners(DP’s) do it alone? Can they meet
the Billions to Trillions in investment that are needed to meet the SDG’s to “Ensure access to clean water
and sanitation for all?
Ghana has made significant progress in the
involvement of the Private Sector in the
development agenda. This year, the maiden
edition of a dialogue series was organized in that
regard. It was on the theme: “The role of the
private sector in providing sustainable practical
solutions to Ghana’s sanitation challenges” and
was jointly organized by the Environmental
Services Providers Association (ESPA),
Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the Fidelity Bank, the
Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL)
and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural
Development (MLGRD).
Reps. of Private sector,DP’s and government at
the forum
The dialogue series was intended to raise awareness on sanitation issues, appeal to the international
development community and the government of Ghana to include private companies in the execution of
projects. It also called for the creation of a platform for direct dialogue between private local companies
and the international community.
More partnership…
At the November gathering of key players in the sanitation sector,participants called for partnership
among the government, the private sector and the DP’s.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Alhaji Collins Dauda,lauded the innovations
by the private sector in recycling waste materials, composting, improving haulage of municipal waste and
ensuring better management of final disposal sites and engineered landfills.
He acknowledged the support received from DPs,saying, “Considering the fact that the government is
constrained in terms of financial resources,the support of our DPs has gone a long way to improve the
sanitation situation in the country. Indeed, if we are to forge ahead in improving insanitary conditions in
Ghana, we must consider it as a shared responsibility.”
The Chief of Staff, Mr. Julius Debrah,pledged the government’s commitment to partner the private sector
and the DPs to achieve improved sanitation for the country, saying that its doors would always be opened.

3. The Zoomlion example
To change Ghana’s current status as one of the world’s worst performing countries in sanitation coverage,
there is definitely the need for more investment in the sector.
According to WASH,substantial funds had been committed to the sanitation sector by The Netherlands
(€100 million), Canada (over $100 million), the World Bank GAMA project (around $150 million),
among other investments by other DPs,but that is woefully inadequate to meet the SDG’s on Sanitation.
“At the moment there is a broad sanitation model and strategy, which definitely is rolling out and that will
help dramatically but we need more investment in sanitation and the challenge is that we really need that
commitment,” Mr. David Duncan Duncan, Chief of WASH (Water,Sanitation and Hygeine).
One private entity that is doing great strides in the sanitation sub-sector of Ghana’s economy is Zoomlion
Ghana Limited. Among its many interventions in partnership with government are:
 On-going waste treatment projects ( ie the Mudor waste treatment plant in Accra,the Adjen
Kotoku treatment plant near Accra). This according to its group Chairman, Mr. Joseph Agyapong
will bring to an end the famous ‘Lavender Hill’, where raw liquid waste was dumped directly into
the sea.
 Provision of Youth Employment. It now has a total core staff of 3,000 and manages over 85,000
workers under various forms of Public Private Partnerships (PPP).
 National Sanitation Day Activities. In partnership with various local assemblies and corporate
institutions, they spearhead the monthly sanitation day activity that was introduced by the
government. This is mandatory for every local assembly and occurs on the first Saturday of every
month.
 Special projects and Other Services (ie. Fabrication and Sale of waste management equipment,
Solid waste collection, sreet drain cleaning, Tricycle waste collection services, cesspit emptier
services, landfill site management, vector control services,capacity building etc. )
Challenges
1. Lack of access to financing
2. Non-enforcement of existing bye-laws, as well as policies on sanitation
Recommendations
1. There is the need for more effective cooperation in this area
2. More advocacy targeting behavioral change

4. Ref:
1. Situation of Children in Ghana, www.unicef.org/ghana
2. Ghana Millennium Development Goals, 2015 Report (September, 2015) page 54-60
3. UNICEF Annual Report 2014,
4. The World Bank Report, Ghana, www.worldbank/en/country/ghana
5. WHO Ghana Report, www.afro.who.int
6. Partnership Key to deal with Sanitation Challenges, Ghana News Agency,20th
September 2015,
www.ghananewagency.org
7. WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water and Sanitation, 2012