Amoakohene floats awarding 50% of sanitation fines to informants

Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene has proposed rewarding informants with half of the sanitation fines for reporting indiscriminate waste dumping.

In a post on X on Thursday morning, Dr Amoakohene urged the public to record offenders who dump refuse illegally and submit the footage to authorities for action.

He suggested that informants whose evidence leads to sanctions could receive 50 per cent of the fines imposed, describing it as an incentive to support enforcement efforts.

The proposal comes as the Ashanti Region, particularly Kumasi, continues to grapple with a worsening sanitation crisis. Rapid population growth and gaps in waste management systems have left many communities struggling to maintain clean environments.

In some areas, only about 30 per cent of households have access to proper toilet facilities, worsening open defecation and refuse disposal challenges.

Recent developments have highlighted the scale of the problem. Blocked drains and widespread plastic waste have contributed to flooding around the Dr Mensah Market, while major waste collection difficulties have been reported at the Oti landfill.

These issues have intensified public concern over sanitation management in the region.

The Minister’s proposal has sparked mixed reactions online, with some users supporting the idea and others calling for more structural interventions.

A user identified as FazeSkino described the initiative as a “good deal,” arguing that many people already understand the dangers of poor waste disposal but still choose to litter public spaces.

Another user, AmoakoKwam, disagreed, stating that the approach does not address the root of the problem and instead called for the provision of adequate waste bins at key points across the city.

Corruptlesstv pointed to broader systemic challenges, noting that waste bins are insufficient and collection services remain irregular despite residents’ willingness to pay. The user added that waste management has become a national concern, with informal tricycle operators stepping in to fill the gaps.

Ansuedwin proposed the creation of a dedicated sanitation police unit, suggesting that specialised enforcement could more effectively address indiscriminate dumping.

The debate highlights ongoing tensions between enforcement-based strategies and calls for improved infrastructure and public services in tackling sanitation challenges.