The Parliament Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources is renewing its call for a dedicated national sanitation fund. This call follows an assessment of projects delivered by local assemblies in the Volta and Oti Regions. The Committee evaluated how assemblies access and utilize sanitation allocations, the projects implemented, and the challenges faced. The assessment is part of the Committee's second-phase accountability engagement with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies.
The Committee found that the use of 10% of the District Assemblies Common Fund by assemblies for water and sanitation projects has produced visible results. This strengthens the case for a dedicated financing mechanism for sanitation. Member of Parliament for Salaga South and Committee member, Ibrahimah Mohammed Zuweraa, stated that the team inspected several projects funded through this allocation. The projects demonstrate what predictable funding can achieve when assemblies have resources available for sanitation interventions.
The Committee's engagement involved 18 MMDAs in the Volta Region and presentations from nine districts in the Oti Region. Assemblies presented accounts of their 2025 and 2026 DACF allocations and receipts, sanitation interventions undertaken, and challenges encountered. Ms. Zuweraa praised the assemblies in Oti for demonstrating a strong commitment to improving sanitation and undertaking quality projects. She noted that additional resources could enable the assemblies to expand their interventions and extend sanitation improvements to more communities.
Eight out of nine assemblies in the Oti Region were commended for their stellar accomplishments, quality of work, dedication, and appreciation of sanitation issues. The Committee believes that the experience from the two regions demonstrates the importance of providing local authorities with predictable and adequate resources to address sanitation challenges. The Committee's nationwide monitoring exercise will continue before compiling its findings and recommendations on sanitation financing and service delivery.
Ms. Zuweraa emphasized the importance of Parliament physically inspecting projects rather than relying solely on reports submitted by assemblies. Direct engagement and field inspections allow the Committee to better understand the progress made, challenges encountered, and the impact of sanitation interventions at the local level. This approach enables the Committee to provide informed recommendations on how Ghana can strengthen sanitation financing and improve service delivery.
The Committee's findings from the ongoing exercise will inform recommendations on sanitation financing and service delivery. The call for a dedicated sanitation fund is based on the visible results achieved through existing statutory allocations. The Committee's assessment highlights the need for a dedicated financing mechanism to support sanitation interventions across the country.
The Parliament Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources will continue its nationwide monitoring exercise. The Committee aims to compile its findings and recommendations to strengthen sanitation financing and improve service delivery across Ghana. A dedicated sanitation fund could provide local authorities with the necessary resources to address sanitation challenges effectively.
Key points
- Parliament's Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources calls for a dedicated national sanitation fund.
- The Committee assessed progress in Volta and Oti regions, citing visible projects delivered through existing statutory allocations.
- A dedicated fund could provide local authorities with predictable and adequate resources to address sanitation challenges.
