Story by Nsor Paul Mensah
Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, the Minister of Environment Science and Technology (MEST), together with management of the E-Waste Fund project Visited members of the Greater Accra Scrap Dealers Association at Agbogbloshie scrap yard to assess the challenges faced in electronic waste (e-waste) disposal.
During the visit, the Minister met with the young men and women who collect and process the e-waste. The main issue identified was the lack of adequate incentives provided to those bringing in the electronic items.
"They've indicated their biggest challenge is the incentive, the incentives that are given to them for the purposes of they given, you know, their electronic units to the collection center," the Minister said.
To address this, the Minister announced plans to constitute a committee chaired by the MEST Chief Director to review the incentive structure and potentially increase the payments.
Other problems discussed included the difficulty in extracting valuable materials like copper without causing pollution through burning, as well as the disposal of leftover debris. The Minister noted a control burning system could help extract copper more safely.
Recognizing the need for a coordinated effort, the Minister said a task force would be formed to police the area and prevent further burning of waste, which has led to significant smoke and environmental damage.
The Minister also emphasized the government's commitment to investing in solutions to dissolve the waste and transform the Agbogbloshie site into a more environmentally-friendly area. Engagements with South Korean companies are underway to explore sustainable options.
"The ministry has a mandate to ensure that we live in a very serene and acceptable, environment, and the only way we can do that is to have this you know stakeholder engagement," the Minister stated.
The visit and the Minister's pledges to address the e-waiste challenges at agbogbloshie reflect the Government efforts to tackle environmental pollution and improve waste management practices in Ghana
