Waste Management Company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, on Wednesday launched ten mechanical street sweepers to be distributed mainly in Accra and selected cities in Ghana.

The $2 million investment, according to Executive Chairman of Zoomlion Group of Companies, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, is in response to President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ’s call for the introduction of automated sweepers for heavy traffic areas.

“These street sweepers will be deployed in consultation with the governmental authorities, at various ceremonial and major streets of selected cities in Ghana to ensure their optimum use,” said Dr Agyepong at a ceremony to unveil the vehicles at the forecourt of the State House in Accra.

Photo: Dr Siaw Agyepong said Zoomlion was committed to transforming every Region with innovative ways of solving waste problems.

He thanked the Government for its continued partnership.

Dr Agyepong revealed that Zoomlion has transformed its operations this year and is set to roll out the following projects in support of  the President’s vision of making Ghana clean:

• One Million Bin Distribution Project to households to reduce the disease burden associated with poor sanitation in Ghana. This project initiated with a $10 million Dollar credit facility from ECOBANK has been launched in the Ablekuma North constituency in Accra.
• Collaboration with the Church of Pentecost on Environmental Care Campaign to ensure the effective implementation of One-House-One-Dustbin policy with the church and also build community awareness to cleanliness.
• We have extended similar invitations to other religious bodies to come on board this year as we intensify our effort to support the attainment of the vision of Mr President to ensure “Total Cleanliness” of our cities and towns.
• Enjoyed the collaboration of the Chief Imam, His Eminence Sheik Usman Nuhu Sharubutu and other Imams, as we partner to educate the members of the Islamic Faith on environmental cleanliness. We are poised to intensify our collaboration as we visit the mosques to interact more closely.
• Initiated the process for the construction of liquid waste treatment plant in Kumasi in partnership with Pureco Limited from Hungary.
• Establishment of Dustbin manufacturing plant in Kumasi
• Plans concluded to build a Transfer Station at Mallam in Accra.
• Discussions among industry players under the hierarchy of the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) to impact on sector policy inputs provisioning.
• Providing the informal sector (Tricycle Riders) with tricycles to boost their complementary role in waste collection.
• Deepening collaboration with the Media fraternity to help reach out massively to sensitize the communities.
• The Ghana Prisons Service collaboration with Zoomlion to fight against the waste challenges; and I thank the Director of Prisons here present; etc.

Also present at the ceremony was Deputy Minister for Local Government, Mr Collins Ntim, who noted that street sweepers help to recover debris from streets and reduce the risk of skidding by vehicles.

“It can automatically sweep, dump refuse and scrub with the help of an embedded water tank..clears stagnant water which on the road surface which contributes to the development of potholes on our roads,” he touted the features of the state-of-the-art vehicles.

The Deputy Minister also commended Zoomlion for the numerous roles it is playing to help keep the country clean.

“I want to be honest here again that Jospong and Zoomlion are doing quite well in terms of such innovations as evident in the inauguration of these sweepers......Indeed, your outfit keeps springing up surprises to augment the ministry’s efforts and that is very commendable. We need more of your kind to completely nib in the bud the waste management menace facing this country,” he said.