Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Samuel Pyne, says he is actively working to find ways of converting waste into energy.

He says the Assembly will be building four compost sites in the city along with two large-scale recycling plants.

Speaking as a guest on Luv In The Morning show on Luv Fm, the mayor announced a flagship project has been entered with the European Union for waste management services.

“We have been allocated €2.5 million for waste management and sustainability projects by the European Union,” he said. “We also recently obtained funds from the United Nations City Development Fund (UNCDF) for some of the incomplete development projects in Kumasi.”

Sam Pyne was responding to concerns of residents of Kumasi regarding the city's waste management and sanitation problems.

“Waste management and sanitation is something we have struggled with for a long time…waste should be wealth, not filth,” Sam Pyne acknowledged. “I cannot stress enough that everyone has a role to play in solving this grave issue.”

He commended traders for turning up to support a recent clean-up of the Central Business District.

“However, I am rather disappointed with the shop owners who decided to shut their shops and remain inside rather than helping,” he said. “We’ve invested a lot of resources to clean up our environment but we need everyone’s help…we’re not asking everyone to come out and pick up rubbish but we ask people to stop contributing to the problem…people need to stop dumping their trash in public, simple.”

He emphasized that everyone needs to play a part in ensuring the sustainability of the environment.

“We’ve had instances where we spend all day cleaning an area and it has been filled with trash before the end of the day,” Pyne said. “Everyone complains about the waste problem but does not want to accept it when they contribute to the problem.”

Mayor Pyne announced that he is leading a new initiative through which he plans to place rubbish bins across the city.

“Through our next project, we are looking to place bins around the city…two bins in each area; one for dry waste and one for compost.”

Similarly, he is also looking to provide shop owners with bins and hopes they will play their part in this initiative.

To ensure compliance and integrity from the public, Mayor Pyne revealed that his team has five top technicians with access to CCTV footage from traffic signals that are monitoring wrongdoers.

“We have already prosecuted six dumpers,” he said.

Completion of Phase II of Kejetia Project

Mayor Pyne ensured the funds obtained from the UNCDF will be used to complete the construction Phase II of the Kejetia Market Redevelopment project – the largest open-air market in Western Africa.

“The market is set to be completed by February 2023,” he said. “If it is not completed during my time in office, then I shall be held accountable.”

He also noted that he plans to build a large modern parking space in the city in collaboration with the UNCDF.

Sam Pyne also spoke about the problems of illegal offloading and on loading from vehicles throughout the city and traders taking up sidewalk spaces at bus stations and junctions.

“We have city guards that are doing their best,” he said. “We are also aware of the problem of city guards taking bribes but we are treating this very seriously and punishing them adequately for their disservice to the people.”