Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, has commissioned Zoomlion’s transformative Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant in Sunyani in the Bono Region.

Addressing a colourful durbar of chiefs, people, and departmental heads of state institutions at Nwawasua near Sunyani, Ms Alhassan, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso West Wugon Constituency, praised the chiefs and people of the Bono Region for their resilience in always keeping their environment clean.

She noted that when it comes to cleanliness, the Bono Region, especially the Regional Capital, is always clean by all standards.

This is partly due to the concern and efforts taken by the traditional rulers and the people themselves.

Ms Alhassan said it is time for Ghana to celebrate the successes in waste management infrastructural transformation following the Jospong Group’s construction of 16 waste treatment and recycling plants across the regions in the past four years, with 10 of them being operational while six are at various levels of completion.

She praised the Executive Chairman and the entire management and staff of the Jospong Group of Companies for transforming the waste management industry in Ghana.

She added that the strategic establishment of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources by the President, H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to spearhead policy formulation and create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive towards a cleaner Ghana was anchored by the likes of Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, resulting in the many waste infrastructures springing up in Ghana today.

She, therefore, appealed to the people of Sunyani to embrace the facility and channel their waste to it for processing and recycling, especially composting organic waste for agricultural purposes and recycling plastics for household and recreational uses.

The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) and Member of Parliament for Mfamsipim, Ophelia Mensah Hayford, said global warming has brought about climate change, causing the depletion of the ozone layer due to the consistent production of carbon dioxide by individual acts. This calls for measures to mitigate these causes globally.

She said the efforts of the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies are the definition of climate change mitigation. She was not surprised that the Government of Switzerland offered to draw Ghana into the carbon trade market due to the Jospong efforts. This, she said, brings about economic improvement to the country.

Madam Hayford called on Ghanaians to get involved in the fight against indiscriminate waste disposal and other acts that contribute to climate change.

The Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, recounted the humble beginnings of Zoomlion Ghana Limited when it commenced operations in Bolgatanga with only one manual tricycle. He said prayers, commitment, and resilience have brought the company this far, and he was grateful to God Almighty for everything.

Dr. Agyepong commended the chiefs and people of the Bono Region, especially the Nwawasua Chief and Queen Mother, for releasing land for the establishment of the facility to cater to the entire Bono Region. He recounted how Nkrumah chose industrialisation by establishing several factories and companies in the 1960s, which brought rapid economic growth to Ghana. He sees Nana Addo’s vision of One District, One Factory (1D1F) as an effort to industrialise Ghana again, which is why he seized the opportunity in the area he best fits to expand the space. His effort is meant to generate more jobs and develop the private sector for domestic growth.

He said the facility will produce 150,000 tons of organic fertiliser annually, boosting the agricultural sector in the Bono Region and across Ghana. Dr. Agyepong stated that he sees waste differently from others, viewing it as a “misplaced resource,” and urged all to develop the habit of turning waste into wealth. He assured that the facility would establish a research centre for tertiary institutions in the region to further research into the components of waste and how it can be used, and assured the chiefs that most of the workers would be engaged locally. 

Earlier, the Bono Regional Minister, Justina Awo Owusu-Banahene, praised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, for their thoughtfulness in locating the facility in her region. She was optimistic that the facility would generate meaningful jobs and process, treat, and recycle the waste generated in the Bono Region to improve the lot of the people. 

Madam Owusu-Banahene said the plant has the capacity to process 400 tons of waste per day, matching the region’s waste generation of 300-400 tons per day, making the plant fit for purpose. She added that the plant will generate tourism opportunities and other benefits for the region. She announced that the facility comes with 1,000 motor kings from Jospong for the collection of waste across the Sunyani municipality, creating jobs for many young men and women. 

The Sampahene, Nana Samgba Gyafla II, who also acted as President of the Regional House of Chiefs, the Vice President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs and Drobohene, Okokyeredom Sakyi Ako II, the Queen Mother of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Akosua Dua Asor Sika Brayie II, along with the Omanhene of Nwawasua and Queen Mother, among other traditional rulers, graced the occasion and praised the Executive Chairman and staff of the Jospong Group of Companies for the beautiful edifice.