The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, has said the EPA has established 46 new district offices and recruited about 3,000 additional staff as part of efforts to strengthen its operations and expand its presence across the country.

Chief Executive Officer of the EPA, Prof. Klutse, said the expansion forms part of the authority's ongoing institutional reforms following its transition from an agency to an authority under a new legal framework.

Speaking in Kumasi at the launch of the second public awareness campaign on August 27, Prof. Browne Klutse said the expanded mandate requires significant investment in human resources, logistics and infrastructure.

“We have established 46 new district offices across the country. We have employed up to 3,000 new staff and promoted 444 staff.”

She explained that the changes were necessary to build the capacity of the institution and enable it to effectively deliver on its broader environmental and climate-change responsibilities.

Prof. Browne Klutse said the EPA had also strengthened its logistical capacity to support its growing workforce and expanded field operations.

“In terms of logistics again, we have procured 95 new vehicles and 50 new motorbikes that support our operations and get us out there.”

According to her, the expansion of district offices and increased staffing would improve the EPA’s ability to reach communities, monitor environmentally sensitive activities and ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

She said the reforms were being implemented in line with the government’s Reset Agenda, which seeks to reposition state institutions to deliver more effectively on their respective mandates.

Prof. Browne Klutse stressed that the transformation of the EPA was not limited to an increase in personnel and logistics but was also aimed at addressing technical and operational gaps that had previously constrained the institution.

She said the authority would continue to strengthen its systems and field presence to ensure that environmental protection remains effective across the country.