The Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources has uncovered what stakeholders describe as a significant contribution by Zoomlion Ghana Limited to sanitation management in the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, following revelations that the company has operated nine additional communal waste containers in the metropolis free of charge for more than a year.

The discovery emerged during the committee’s oversight visit to the metropolis, where officials of the assembly commended the company for its continued support in waste management and public health interventions.

The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), George Justice Arthur, described Cape Coast as a “citadel of everything that happens in Ghana,” citing its prominence in education, football, tourism and other sectors. He noted that the assembly has made steady progress in sanitation management through the implementation of an eight-year development plan and the launch of the “Dirt Free Cape Coast” initiative.

According to the MCE, the assembly is also collaborating with the many secondary and tertiary institutions within the metropolis to maintain environmental cleanliness. However, he appealed for increased allocations from the common fund to help address persistent sanitation challenges.

He further disclosed that the assembly is drilling new boreholes and rehabilitating existing ones to ensure a reliable supply of water for residents.

Despite ongoing sanitation challenges, the MCE praised Zoomlion for its commitment to improving waste management services in the metropolis. He revealed that the assembly is on the verge of signing a new contract with the company and appealed to the government to provide additional waste trucks to support ongoing operations.

“Zoomlion is doing very well, and the assembly is collaborating effectively with them to improve sanitation and waste management for our people,” he stated.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources, John Oti Bless, explained that the committee was undertaking its constitutional oversight responsibility to assess sanitation and water service delivery across Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

He emphasised the importance of private sector participation in sanitation management and described Zoomlion as one of the assembly’s key partners in delivering sanitation services.

“Sanitation is critical in every MMDA, and that is part of the mandate given by the President to all MMDCEs. We are also monitoring how sanitation funds are being utilised under short, medium and long-term development plans, while also assessing water challenges confronting assemblies,” he said.

Head of Waste Management at the assembly, Engineer Jonas Duneebon, disclosed that under the current contractual arrangement, Zoomlion was required to operate 15 communal containers.

He explained that the company had initially deployed 24 containers in the metropolis. However, when Zoomlion attempted to retrieve the excess containers following revisions to the contract, the assembly resisted the move due to operational demands.

As a result, he said, the company agreed to continue operating an additional nine communal containers at no cost to the assembly for more than a year, a development that drew the attention of the parliamentary committee.

Engineer Duneebon also commended Zoomlion for its rapid response during last year’s cholera outbreak, noting that the company provided chemicals, personnel and equipment to support a large-scale fumigation and disinfection exercise across the metropolis.

He added that the company intensified similar interventions this year, which helped prevent any cholera outbreak in Cape Coast.

“Last year, Zoomlion supported the assembly with chemicals, manpower and equipment to fumigate and disinfect the entire metropolis during the cholera outbreak. This year, they intensified the exercise, and thankfully, we have not recorded any cholera cases,” he said.

The committee’s findings highlight the expanding role of private sector participation in sanitation management, particularly in supporting local assemblies beyond contractual obligations to safeguard public health and environmental cleanliness.