The vice president remarks.

The Vice President Mr. John Dramani Mahama launched the two long awaited policies, the revised Environmental sanitation Policy and the decentralized policy. Hand in hand with the  respective  National strategic Action plans. This event was held at the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), Accra n Tuesday, November 30.^.

 The Vice President remarked that the time for talking about the policies and the processes is done. It was his ultimate desire that law enforcement and implementers move into operationalizing the policy documents into practical realities.

He also stressed that fact the decentralization will gone a big deal into empowering the local authorities and the people to decide their own development priorities. Drawing from his experience while a minister, the vice president could not stress more that centralized governance was deterring development at the local government.

With enforcement of the decentralized policy, the Vice President has faith that adequate resources and commitment into sanitation over the next five, Ghana will be able to meet the MDG targets especial that on sanitation which has been identified as lagging behind and yet has a central bearing on all the other MDG goals.

The Vice President also pointed out the major challenge facing sanitation is the inappropriate use of power and authority, and not funding as many put it. He wondered if there is a deliberate refusal to enforce bye-laws at local government levels.

The Vice President pledged the full commitment and the political wing of Government together with all MMDAs to move the decentralization agenda forward and also take control over the sanitation challenge. He recommended that lessons should be learnt from other countries that have been successful in dealing with waste quoting Rwanda’s case with polythene bags.

Also at the function were Ministers and Directors from the respective ministries. The development partners committed their support to the new decentralization policy and the revised Environmental policy. They also mentioned that Sanitation and Water for All had earlier committed to spend 209 million every year on sanitation.

They also reminded  all MMDAs to come-forth on their pledge to commit 0.5% of  their annual budget  to supporting sanitation related activities.