‘Let us clean our cities ourselves’ — Assemblies demand control of IGF to fix sanitation problems

District and municipal assemblies are demanding full control of their Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to tackle sanitation problems directly, citing delays in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund and lack of involvement in key waste management decisions.

During a visit by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources to parts of the Greater Accra Region on Tuesday, April 15 2025, several assemblies expressed frustration over the current arrangement, which they say limits their ability to respond to local sanitation challenges.

At the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), officials described the growing waste burden and called for practical reforms.

The Director of Waste Management, Mr Solomon Noi-Adzeman Nuetey, urged a review of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) programme and argued that placing control in the hands of assemblies would improve local responses.

“We need to revisit the structure of the YEA programme and allow assemblies to take charge,” Mr Nuetey said. “That way, we can respond to the challenges more directly and reduce the build-up of waste across the city.”

 He also proposed the creation of an intermediate treatment facility to prevent the spread of sanitation-related diseases.

At the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr Emmanuel Baisie, criticised the exclusion of assemblies from waste management contracts, saying deductions are made from their accounts without their input.

“These contracts were signed without input from our technical officers, yet deductions are made directly from our accounts to pay them,” Mr Baisie said. “If given the chance, we could use our IGF to contract service providers or even manage sanitation operations ourselves.”

Mr Baisie said the Assembly had already introduced late-afternoon sanitation teams to help maintain public spaces and green belts.

Responding to their concerns, the Committee Chairman, Mr John Kwabena Bless Oti, said the Committee would take up the matter in Parliament. 

“The assemblies have said they can fund waste services using their IGF, so they should be allowed to engage service providers directly,” he said.

“Let the assemblies clean their own mess, but give them the power to do so.”

The Committee’s regional tour, covering 19 districts, is expected to inform proposals to improve the management of sanitation and water resources in the Greater Accra Region.