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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has inaugurated the first co-operative for informal waste collectors in Accra.
The formation of the new cooperative known as Borla Taxi and Tricycles Co-operative Society will enable members to partake in the city's waste contracting processes, officially develop and sign a collective bargaining agreement, and be acknowledged in the city's policy-making process.
The decision to unite the informal waste collectors which was ignited by the Assembly forms part of activities outlined in its Inclusive Climate Action Programme to ensure inclusivity, equity and participation in the delivery of climate action.
Chief Executive of the AMA, Hon Elizabeth K. T Sackey in a speech read on her behalf by the Head of the Development Planning Unit, Richard Kwame Oduro said the launch of the cooperative was an important milestone in the integration of informal waste workers in the waste management scheme of the city.
She said the AMA appreciates the contribution of the informal waste sector in achieving the President's vision of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa adding that the city had commenced programmes and projects in its Climate Action Plan to achieve a carbon-neutral city by 2050.
"The informal waste sector has been responsible for the increase in waste collection rate, especially in low-income communities as well as recycling rate... In as much as the AMA seeks to further incorporate the informal waste sector in delivering services, we can only do so through cooperatives, " she said.
The Mayor of Accra disclosed that the Assembly would soon introduce a colour coding system to differentiate tricycles used for waste collection to prevent them from being used to carry other goods such as food.
She assured that the AMA would intensively engage all stakeholders including informal waste workers as well as build their capacities to carry them along in planning and implementing its climate action plan.
She used the opportunity to encourage other informal waste collectors who are not in the cooperative to join and be law-abiding.
The Coordinator of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development project (GARID) at the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Henrietta Serwaa Tutu in a remark emphasised the importance of the informal waste collectors, adding that only 70 per cent of the franchised companies were able to do the collection in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA).
She said out of the 70 per cent of franchised companies who were working, 51 per cent were informal sector workers and commended them for doing a great job.
She assured of the Ministry's commitment and promised to donate some logistics including Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to support the corporative and staff of the Assembly in the discharge of their duties.
Director of the Waste Management Department at the AMA, Engineer Solomon Noi explained that incorporating the informal Waste sector into the AMA’s policy framework would mandate them to adhere to franchising and live up to expectations, and best practices and regulate activities of individuals in the cooperative.
He urged the informal waste collectors to subscribe to the Assembly’s source separation program to ensure that organic, solid and liquid waste is well segregated for recycling.