The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has revealed that, the Informal Waste workers made up of the Bola Taxi and Tricycle opetators collect over 51% of waste generated in the Greater Accra Region.
This was disclosed during the inauguration of AMA Bola Taxi and Tricycle Cooperative Society Limited by Mr. Richard Kwame Oduro, the Director of Planning at Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
He pointed out that, the decision to work in collaboration with the Informal Waste Workers as far as waste management in Accra is concerned, have been on their table for a longer period.
The Assembly he stated, has realized that it is not every place that the Service Providers can go and collect waste especially where the population is dense hence, the need to involve the Informal Waste Workers to access in those areas.
Mr. Kwame Oduro further revealed that, now that the Informal Waste workers are under Cooperative, they stand the chance of benefiting in so many things including, access to capacity building programmes, access to free logistics, access to soft funding facilities to aid in procuring items needed to make their work effective etc.
“Once they have become integral part of us, they are going to be part of the decision making. So now, we are not going to take decisions for them once they are part. They will have to also make an input into the decision we make especially, decision that affect their operations. That comes in the form of their own needs as a Cooperative and so, if it falls on our capacity to help, we will help”.
On her part, the President of Informal Waste workers, Madam Lydia Bamfo thanked management of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly for recognizing the importance of their contributions and have accepted them as partners in manging waste in the Capital.
She revealed that, Ga East Municipal was the first to accept them as Cooperative in waste management followed by AMA with Adentan and Madina being the next to partnering them.
Their acceptance by the various Municipal Assemblies she indicated, would enable donors to come and support them saying, the donors would not be afraid of partnering with them since they would be working with the Cooperative.
“Now that AMA which gave birth to all the Assemblies in the Greater Accra has accepted us, we want to warn other members who don’t want to take things serious likewise, those who see waste collection as a free range and can just go out to collect it anytime they want so far as they get tricycles, should stand firm. This is because, now that we have been accepted by the AMA for the world to know us, this is the time our taskforce would be going out and those who have not made their mind to join us to work effectively together, we will go after them so that, their negative deeds will not come and destroyed our work”.
She averred that already, people have been painting them negativily due to some behavior of those who have not made themselves available to be given training as being done for their members.
The AMA Madam Bamfo hinted, have assured to give members of the Cooperative one colour code which she stated, would be a great help to differentiate between their members and the non-members.
