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The two deputy ministers for Local Government and Rural Development, Emmanuel Agyekum and Nii Lante Vanderpuiye have visited a 500 acre land located at Ashalaja-Horbo, in the Ga South Municipality, intended for an engineered landfill site for the Greater Accra Region. The 500 acre land was identified by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to be developed as engineered landfill sites as part of efforts to manage waste in Accra. The Ashalaga-Horbo site, which is yet to be properly acquired, would be the final engineered waste disposal site for residents in the Accra metropolis. This new acquisition is intended to reduce pressure on the already inadequate landfill sites in and around the Greater Accra Region and also make way for proper waste management which would be turned into wealth; such as gas and manure among others. The Ashalaja-Hobor landfill site is being acquired by the government through the Ministry of Local Government, with the assistance from Royal Netherlands Embassy in Ghana. Upon the visit, it was observed that although the land was suitable for a landfill site, there would be the need to do a final impact assessment of the land, since it is surrounded by three villages and do the necessary paper works before actual acquisition. It was revealed that, the land was litigation free, since the AMA has gone through the necessary procedure, but is only left with the proper acquisition. The deputy minister of MLGRD; Emmanuel Agyekum said the ministry was going to speed up the paper work towards the proper acquisition. He noted that, there would be three transfer stations in Accra for proximity of dumping before the final destination of the refuse. He assured that the distance would not be a problem since there would be availability of haulage trucks to transport the refuse from the transfer stations to the engineered site. The visit was carried out in the company of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly Boss (AMA), Dr. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, the Municipal Chief Executive of Ga South, Mr Jerry Akwei Thompson, members of the Press, Secretary of the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands, Mr Fred Smiet, and some waste contractors. VISIT TO AYIDAN The ministers also visited a private waste management site located at Ayidan also in the Ga South Municipality. The Ayidan private facility, which is owned by Rexel Waste Management, is sited on a 65 acre land and is set out to turn waste into energy. The Chief Executive Officer of Rexel Waste Management, Dr. Peter Ayittey, said his project, which is in the first phase has an expenditure of over GH�10 million and had already put up offices, drainage systems, water works and weighing bridges, among others. PRIVATE INITIATIVE The entourage also visited the site of J-Stanley-Owusu (JSO) Group, a private waste management company, in charge of the mini-waste transfer station at Oblogo. The Oblogo transfer station is projected to be ready in the next three months and would among other things serve as a waste collection point before final dispatch to the engineered landfill site. Waste, which would be deposited there would be compressed and finally sent to the landfill site to be recycled into fertiliser for agriculture and production of energy. The Chief Executive Officer of JSO Group, Mr William Stanley Owusu, said the company was committed to ensuring an effective waste management within the metropolis and make good use of waste. He said JSO Group would, by the end of the year, begin the exploration of methane gas from an old landfill site which was formerly a quarry site located at Oblogo Number 1. Adding the feasibility study was underway. Netherlands assistance The Secretary of the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands, Mr. Fred Smiet said the embassy was ready to help Ghana turn waste to wealth, not only with funds but also technical know-how. He said: �In the Netherlands, waste is money and we are looking at advising the Ghana government on how to turn waste into money,� he said. Mr. Smiet said the Royal Netherlands was ready to assist the country to develop good measures and policies related to waste management and water and that engineers have already been sent down to undertake a feasibility study.