Mr Mahami Salifu, Upper East Region Minister, on Tuesday appealed to Ghanaians to refrain from politicising discussions on private sector participation in the water sector.

He said the subject was so important to the nation that it required a non-partisan and dispassionate approach in the search for realistic and sustainable solutions.

Mr Salifu was addressing a regional forum on private sector participation in urban water supply organised in Bolgatanga by the Water Sector Restructuring Secretariat (WSRS) of the Ministry of Works and Housing.

He said water delivery in most of the urban areas left much to be desired and reiterated government's commitment to ensuring equitable distribution of safe water to all Ghanaians irrespective of social status.

"It is important for us to ensure that water delivery, particularly in the urban areas, is managed in a cost effective manner to guarantee equity and sustainability."

He said it was in pursuance of this objective that the government intended to involve credible private sector operators with requisite resources and expertise in urban water delivery.

Mr Salifu said this partnership should not be misconstrued as privatisation but that it should be viewed as an imperative in the light of the fact that huge sums of money would be required to attain the envisaged level of efficiency in water sector management.

Two resource persons from the WSRS in Accra, Captain Victor Ansah and Mr Kwamina Longdon, took turns to explain the concept of Private-Public Partnership in water supply, and its implications for the consumer and the nation as a whole.

They cited increased access to water supply, sustainability of water delivery, effective cost recovery through efficiency, and the lessening of government's financial burden as some of the objectives the proposed restructuring exercise hoped to achieve.

Among concerns raised by participants during open forum were the likelihood of over-billing by private operators seeking to amass profit, impact of the exercise on low income earners and the fate of present employees of the Ghana Water Company when the PSP idea comes into effect.

Participants comprised district co-ordinating directors, assembly members, heads of departments and workers from various government establishments.

An economist, Mr Donald Amoah, who chaired the function urged members of parliament, assembly members, opinion leaders and public servants to help educate people in the local communities on issues pertaining to the restructuring of the water sector.