Ensure sustainability of investments - Bagbin

Page 64: Daily Graphic, August 19, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin, has called on district assemblies and the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) to put in place measures to ensure the sustainability of investments made in the water and sanitation sectors in rural communities.
He stressed the need for the efficient and effective use of the facilities, since those investments in the water systems, among other things, would have significant impact on the economy, health and well-being of Ghanaians.
Speaking yesterday to the Daily Graphic on the government’s pledge to provide potable water for Ghanaians, Mr Bagbin said the recent inauguration of water and sanitation projects to serve the needs of 39 communities in the Central and Western regions was a clear testimony of the government’s commitment to complete all on-going projects started by the previous government.
“To safeguard the long term sustainability of all these investments in the water and sanitation sub-sector, there is the need for proper co-ordination and regulation of these projects,” he said.
He reminded district assemblies that the CWSA was expected to provide technical assistance to the Local Government Service and, therefore, urged the assemblies to take advantage of the technical expertise to develop water resources in their districts.
He said it was important that the district assemblies saw the CWSA as partners and build the necessary linkages with it to help provide safe and reliable water, as well as improved sanitation services for Ghanaians. He stressed that “your are not competitors and you don’t need to work at cross purposes”.
Mr Bagbin charged the CWSA to play a leading role towards the sustainability of water and sanitation facilities that had been delivered through various interventions.
He affirmed the government’s commitment to taking all measures to provide water and sanitation systems in all communities in the country.
He said the provision of potable water for Ghanaians constituted one of the growth poles being pursued by the government in collaboration with stakeholders and development partners such as the European Union to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Mr Bagbin expressed concern about the situation where many communities did not have access to potable water and described the trend as unacceptable.
He, therefore, urged the CWSA and the district assemblies to see it as a challenge to collaborate in a holistic manner to address the problems, especially in the rural areas.