A report on the performance of the various waste management companies operating under the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has revealed that all the service providers have failed to meet the 85% delivery requirement contained in their performance contract for the third quarter of 2018.
Jekora Ventures performed satisfactorily and came close by scoring 80.6%.
The remaining service providers in seven service zones performed below average.
These are Zoomlion Domestic/Ayawaso Central – 61.8%, Zoomlion Domestic/Ablekuma Central – 61.5%, Metropolitan & Allied/Ablekuma Central – 43.0%, J. Stanley 0wusu & Co. Ltd/Okaikoi South – 40.7%, Metropolitan & Allied Waste/Ablekuma South – 36.0%, Tropical Waste/Ashiedu Keteke – 28.3%, and Meskworld Limited/Ashiedu Keteke – 22.1%.
Osu Klottey – Jekora Ventures
For Osu Klottey, Jekora Ventures registered 24,375 households out of the estimated 36,318 and supplied 12,603 bins.
Okaikoi South – J. Stanley Owusu & Co. Ltd
Out of the estimated 36,316 households in Okaikoi South, J. Stanley Owusu & Co. Ltd registered 4,472 and supplied 8,561 bins.
Ablekuma South – Metropolitan and Allied Waste
Metropolitan and Allied Waste, operating in Ablekuma South, registered 1,021 out of the estimated 19,498 households and supplied 990 bins.
Ablekuma Central – Zoomlion Domestic Ltd
Of the estimated 48,656 households in Ablekuma Central, Zoomlion Domestic Ltd registered 8,310 and provided bins to 8,489.
Ablekuma Central – Metropolitan and Allied Waste
At Ablekuma Central, Metropolitan and Allied Waste registered 721 out of the estimated 27,667 households and supplied 734 bins.
Ashiedu Keteke – Meskworld Ltd
Out of the estimated 20,442 households Ashiedu Keteke, Meskworld Ltd registered 844 and supplied bins to 2,466.
Ashiedu Keteke – Tropical Waste
Tropical Waste, which operates in Ashiedu Keteke, registered 339 out of the estimated 32,828 households and provided 236 bins.
Ayawaso Central – Zoomlion Domestic Ltd
Of the 42,463 estimated households in Ayawaso Central, Zoomlion Domestic Ltd registered 9,920 and supplied 10,005 bins.
These companies would be issued warning letters.
The review is done every quarter, and any company that fails to meet the 85% required on two consecutive quarters will have its contract terminated and rewarded to a different company.
By this condition in the contract, any of the companies that performs below the requirement in the report for the last quarter of 2018 will lose its contract.
Deputy Head of Waste Management, Victor Kotey, who briefed journalists in Accra, said indicators used for the evaluation were derived from the Fee and Performance-based Solid Waste Collection Service Franchise Agreement between respective service providers and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), signed in August 2016.
Indicators used
These include the ability to register all premises in service zones, maintain a register of all premises receiving service, supply standard solid waste bins (plastic or metallic), promote recycling and integrate informal waste collectors, as well as service clients regularly.
The rest are collaboration with relevant departments to ensure clean environment, service coverage, maintenance of designated sanitary sites, provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) at all times, submission of monthly reports and innovation in the collection of market waste.
He said data on household registration, bins supplied, equipment holding and tour schedules were collected from service providers using formats provided by the Waste Management Department for the performance evaluation process, adding that the assessment was categorised into two sections: Capacity of Service Providers and Actual Service Delivery Performance.
He disclosed that Jekora Ventures, during the assessment, was innovative by engaging in compost production, pilot waste segregation, and provided incentives for corporate clients who properly separated their waste, among others.
“The service provider collaborated with AMA and other stakeholders to introduce innovations and improve services. One of such collaboration was ‘Mayor’s Pilot Waste Segregation’ in basic schools in the Osu Klottey Sub Metro,” he said, adding that on the capacity of contractors’ equipment, Jekora had adequate resources to provide efficient services, but lacked backup for skip trucks.
He urged all service providers to improve their services to achieve targets set in the Franchise Agreement within their respective timelines, promote reduction and recycling, increase working interactions with the Waste Management and Metro Public Health Departments of the assembly, as well as increase service coverage.
Mr Desmond Appiah, Chief Sustainability Advisor to the Mayor of Accra, emphasised that the assessment were part of the service contracts signed between the assembly and the respective waste management company, and was not a one-off assessment.
He said the purpose of the report was to ensure that contractors and clients are conscious of their responsibilities within the contracts.
Concerns raised by contractors
He noted that some concerns raised by contractors during the period were the unwillingness on the part of households and shop owners to pay for service rendered, resulting in poor cash flow, as well as inadequate public education and sensitisation.
Others are very expensive and time-consuming legal processes to enforce compliance; difficulty in finding land space in the communities to put up facilities; no incentive for developing innovative solutions; unchecked operations of unaccredited operators; unwillingness on the part of some shop owners to pay for services being rendered; activities of junkies hindering operations in the area; and outdated byelaws.
Source: The Finder
