Gov’t Indebtedness To KCARP Threatens Sanitation Operations – ESPA Regional President Warns

The Ashanti Regional President of the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), Ing. Eugene Amo-Asamoah, has warned that delays in government payments to Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant (KCARP) is threatening sanitation operations in Ghana.

In an interview with Opemsuo Radio’s Kofi Boakye on Nkwantannanso, Ing. Amo-Asamoah said KCARP operate under public-private partnership and has continued to collect and treat waste despite not being paid for years.

“We [KCARP] has been in operation for about six years, but for nearly four years now, we have not been paid by the government,” he stated.

He explained that while residents pay for waste collection services, those fees largely cover transportation, leaving the government responsible for financing waste treatment processes.

Ing. Amo-Asamoah, who also serves as Business Development Manager for the Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant (KCARP), noted that the situation is placing significant financial strain on operators even as they maintain round-the-clock services.

“Someone will say they pay for waste collection, but that caters for transport; the government takes care of the treatment,” he added.

He revealed that KCARP produces between 3,000 and 5,000 bags of compost daily and employs over 500 workers operating on a 24-hour shift system.

Despite these efforts, he cautioned that the sustainability of waste management operations is at risk if the funding challenges persist.

Ing. Amo-Asamoah stressed that effective waste management goes beyond collection and requires sustained investment in treatment and recycling infrastructure, calling for urgent government intervention to settle outstanding arrears.