Environmental Service Providers Threaten Nationwide Shutdown Over Unpaid Arrears
JHNews || The warning from environmental service providers is more than a threat. The message is simple: pay up or clean up your own mess.
HENRY GERCHI 
Accra, October 29 — Ghana’s Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) has issued a stern ultimatum to the government: settle all outstanding arrears immediately or face a nationwide shutdown of waste management services.
The group, which represents major private waste management companies across the country, says the government owes members several months of arrears for services rendered, leaving many struggling to sustain operations.
In a statement released on Tuesday, ESPA warned that if payments are not made within the coming days, waste collection, landfill operations, and related sanitation services across major cities—including Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi—will grind to a halt.
According to the association, the continuous delay in payments has crippled their ability to maintain trucks, pay staff, and manage landfill sites efficiently. They also accuse the government of failing to honor repeated promises to clear arrears dating back to early 2024.
Industry leaders caution that a shutdown could trigger a nationwide sanitation crisis, worsening public health risks and derailing Ghana’s environmental sustainability goals.
