Samuel Atta Akyea, Minister of Works and Housing, has cut the sod for construction of a €13million waste-water treatment plant in Kumasi the Ashanti Region to begin.

The project, a partnership between Jospong Group of Companies and a Hungarian technological engineering company, Pureco, will see construction of the 1000m3 waste-water treatment plant – a first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa.

With the facility to be managed by Sewerages Systems Ghana Limited (SSGL), a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies, it is expected to create over 650 jobs for the youth of Kumasi when it is fully operational.

The minister used the opportunity to praise Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, for his commitment to moving Ghana onto a high development pedestal.

He commended the Asantehene, Nana Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, for releasing the 130 acres of land for the project to begin, and urged all chiefs as development agents to be ready to part with lands for development of their jurisdictions.

Dr. Agyepong, who also expressed gratitude to the Asantehene for releasing the land, said the project was initiated as a result of the lack of such a facility in the Ashanti Region, which has resulted in the disposal of liquid waste into water-bodies and caused communicable diseases to spread among the people.

He assured Ghanaians that similar projects will be constructed in Tema, Takoradi and Tamale to solve the liquid waste problems.

He commended the Hungarian partner and government, and gave assurance that a further collaboration with the Hungarian government and people will see the Jospong Group of Companies procuring 100 cesspit emptying trucks and 100 compaction trucks, to further ensure that the president’s vision is achieved.

The representative of the Asantehene who chaired the programme was the Ananta Hene, Nana Agyei Fosu Twitwiakwa II. He said Asanteman is full of joy for the project. He said it is the hope of Otumfuo that wonderful ventures such as this will be brought to the city to bring it back to its former glory as the Garden City.

Nana Twitwiakwa II said the Ashanti Council will continue to support such ventures going forward.

The facility will also be used as a research centre for the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and other institutions.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, gave assurances that his government, led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will continue to create an enabling environment for the private sector to grow; and urged all stakeholders to handle the project with special interest so as to complete it within time.

The project, which is funded jointly by the Hungarian Government, Exim Bank and the Jospong Group of Companies, will be ready for operation in 18 months.