EPA must ensure transparency in law enforcement – Minister
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings, has called on the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to ensure transparency and accountability in the enforcement of environmental laws to restore public confidence in the institution.
She said the EPA must ensure that environmental laws were applied fairly to all persons and organisations, warning that perceived selective enforcement could undermine public trust in the Authority and weaken its efforts to protect the environment.
Dr Agyemang-Rawlings made the call when she visited the EPA in Accra on Friday to engage with management and staff on the Authority’s mandate, ongoing activities and collaboration with the Ministry.
She stressed the need for stronger collaboration among the EPA, government agencies, civil society organisations and citizens to address environmental challenges, saying the responsibility for protecting the environment could not be left to one institution.
According to her, environmental degradation, including the destruction of water bodies, soil pollution, plastic waste and the use of harmful chemicals in illegal mining, required collective action to address both their causes and effects.
She noted that activities in one part of the country could have consequences for people in other areas, particularly through the pollution of water sources, and called for a coordinated national response to environmental violations.
Dr Agyemang-Rawlings further urged the EPA to make information on its activities, achievements, challenges and enforcement actions easily accessible to the public.
She said greater openness would help address perceptions of unequal application of environmental laws and enable the public to better understand the Authority’s work.
The Minister also encouraged the EPA to intensify public education, particularly in schools, and collaborate with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to promote responsible environmental practices.
On plastic pollution, she called for increased efforts to reduce the use of plastics and promote environmentally friendly alternatives.
She also expressed support for the planned ban on Styrofoam products from January, stressing the need for increased public education to ensure that the measure was understood and complied with, rather than relying mainly on prosecution after its implementation.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the EPA, Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, said the Authority was committed to working with stakeholders to strengthen environmental protection in the country.
She acknowledged that the work of the EPA was sometimes challenging, particularly due to human factors and instances of political interventions, but assured the Minister that management was determined to address such challenges and deliver on its mandate.
Prof. Klutse expressed appreciation for the Minister’s support and the challenge she had presented to the Authority, saying it would motivate management and staff to work harder to protect the environment.
She assured the Minister that the EPA would continue to seek her guidance and direction whenever necessary.
Prof. Klutse said the Minister’s message would also help deepen public understanding of the need for collective action to protect the environment.
She stressed that environmental protection was a constitutional responsibility of every Ghanaian and called on all stakeholders to join hands to safeguard the country’s environment.
BY EUGENE AMPIAW
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