President John Dramani Mahama has revealed plans to decentralise the national sanitation budget, empowering district assemblies to take full responsibility for managing local sanitation issues.
Speaking at a durbar held at the Old Ghanata Astroturf in Dodowa on Friday, May 16, as part of his ongoing Thank You Tour, the former President said Cabinet would soon deliberate on the proposal, which aims to make local accountability central to Ghana’s sanitation efforts.
“Cabinet will soon meet to discuss decentralising the sanitation budget, making each district fully responsible for maintaining cleanliness in its jurisdiction,” President Mahama said.
He noted that under the proposed framework, cleanliness will become a key performance indicator for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), influencing their retention in office.
Mahama also announced a plan to revive the National Sanitation Day programme, which he introduced during his previous administration. This time, however, he said the initiative will be backed by legislation, adequately resourced, and implemented through partnerships with local governments and private waste management firms.
“Cleanliness will no longer be symbolic,” he added. “It will be a national duty, observed monthly, legally mandated, and operationally supported by the private sector and district assemblies. This will be a test of leadership for our local executives.”
The decentralisation effort, he explained, is designed to make sanitation a visible and measurable priority across all communities, encouraging citizen participation while holding local leaders accountable for environmental hygiene.