The Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) has suspended its planned nationwide strike, which was to take effect on 7th November 2025.

The decision follows assurances from the Minister for Local Government and Religious Affairs, Ibrahim Ahmed, that the government will begin processing and settling outstanding arrears owed to service providers "within the shortest possible time".

ESPA, which represents private waste management contractors across the country, says the move comes after what it described as “positive engagements” with government officials aimed at resolving payment delays and securing sustainable funding for the sanitation sector.

In a statement on Friday, November 7, signed by Executive Secretary Ama Ofori Antwi, the association urged its members to resume normal operations while talks continue.

The association had earlier warned that years of unpaid arrears estimated at more than one million cedis were crippling operations, leaving contractors unable to pay workers or maintain waste collection equipment.

ESPA says the latest dialogue also opens discussions on long-term policy and financing reforms to strengthen Ghana’s waste management system.

Ghana’s urban centres, including Accra and Kumasi, have long struggled with sanitation challenges, with irregular waste collection and limited landfill capacity contributing to recurring health and environmental concerns.