The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has initiated a fee and performance-based solid waste collection programme, under which 5000 waste bins would be distributed at no cost to households in deprived areas, through private service providers. Dr Simpson Anim Boateng, Director of AMA Public Health Unit, who told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at the weekend said the focus of this exercise was to give the responsibility of refuse and revenue collection to private service providers to ensure maximum performance. He said the AMA spends GHC 500,000 a month on the payment of contractors for refuse collection from deprived areas, adding that, "this is a big drain on the assembly's resources." Dr Boateng said the assembly would enforce all relevant bye-laws to prosecute waste generators including households, commercial and industrial houses, as well as clinics and hospitals who fail to register with any of the service providers. He expressed regretted the bad practices of in Accra, citing the indiscriminate dumping of solid waste into drains, and warned all registered households to make their waste available for collection to avoid arrest and prosecution. He said the AMA would ensure that the providers discharge their duties to the satisfaction of their clients and prosecute any household found to be using unauthorised containers in their homes. Dr Boateng said the approved fees for the service providers to collect from beneficiaries would be GHC 14.00 from high class homes, such as the Airport Residential Area, GHC 9.00 from middle income areas and GHC 3.30p from low income homes. He urged all beneficiaries to report any service provider to any of the AMA offices if they find uncollected refuse or build-up in their communities. Source: GNA