NGO urges Government to increase Budget Allocation to Water and Sanitation Sectors

Accra, Nov. 15, GNA - Stakeholders in Water and Sanitation have called on the government to increase the budgetary allocation to the sector from 0.5 per cent to 1.5 for the next six years.

The stakeholders, which include Grass Roots Africa, a non-governmental organisation that advocate issues affecting the poor and the marginalised made the call at a stakeholders meeting held in Accra at the weekend.

The meeting was aimed at whipping up public interest in the sector and to stimulate national discussions on how government and donor partners can increase investment in water and sanitation.

Briefing the participants at the meeting, the Executive Director of Grass Roots Africa, Mr. Rudolf Amenga-Etego said there was a big investment gap

in the water and sanitation sector and warned of dire consequence if the anomaly was not addressed.

He explained that improvement in water and sanitation would impact positively on the economy as it would increase productivity and enable government to spend less on health delivery.

He said Grass Roots Africa had submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, asking government to increase funding to the sector in the 2010 budget.

The participants indicated that the country's water and sanitation sector was donor led with a total contribution of 90 per cent, whilst government provides only 0.5 per cent.

They said water delivery was still far below as majority of the people could not get portable water to drink, resulting in health related problems.

The participants lauded government's commitment to invest 30 million Ghana Cedis in water delivery as promised early this year through the Ghana Water and Sanitation Agency.

They were however worried that as August this year , the amount has not been disbursed.

They stressed the need for public tracking of the budgetary allocations to the Ministries of Water Resources, Works and Housing and Local Government and Rural Development to ensure that funds allocated to them for water and sanitation projects are not diverted.

A communiqué issued by the stakeholders urged government to as a matter of urgency curb the sanitation problems in the country.

The Meeting which was organized by Grass Roots Africa attracted participants from Water Aid Ghana, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and Ghana Water Journalists Network.

GNA