Daily Independent Online.
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Thursday, June 17, 2004.
Delta seeks private investment in waste
management
By Esan Sunday
Snr. Finance Correspondent, Lagos
Delta State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. George
Ugbomah, has appealed to the private investors, currently eyeing areas of
investment in the state, to consider partnering the state government on waste
management.
Noting that a lot of waste are being generated in the
state, he said it had become imperative that appropriate and efficient ways be
applied in handling and disposal of such waste in order to provide a healthy
and safe environment for human beings, animals and aquatic life. This,
according to him, is in view of the increasing complexity, sophistication and
toxicity of waste.
He said although the government has continued to
spend a lot of money in the area of waste management, there are currently too
many projects, crying for government’s attention, hence the need for
private participation.
He said besides the fact that the private sector is
more endowed with the ability to manage risk, which is one of the major
ingredients in business, the sector is equally more efficient at the delivery
of most services than public authorities. The private sector, he further
argued, has access to broader sources of capital than the government and is
often more knowledgeable with extensive experiences in operating
infrastructure.
“They may have access to operating philosophies
and patented technology that might not be available to the government. These
efficiencies come from greater accountability and financial discipline, which
underscores the strong motive of maximising profit and increasing
shareholders’ value. The private sector adopts innovative construction
techniques in order to save both cost and time. They can seek funds
internationally and in many forms from equity to mezzanine debt and a range of
bonds to which the government does not have access”.
Enumerating the advantages inherent in the
partnership between the government and the private sector on waste management
in the state, he said the partnership would lead to the effective and efficient
management process, reduce the work of the Ministry of Environment to only
policy formation and supervision, reduce unnecessary wasting of materials since
cost will be involved in the clearing of the eventual waste and also lead to
serious cut in government expenses, thereby making more money available for
development of other social sectors.
The commissioner also stated that the partnership
will also lead to increased employment opportunity for the teeming population
in the state and also ensure that the state attains the full waste circle-4Rs,
which means Reduction, Reuse, Recycle and Recovery.
When done sincerely with the support of all
stakeholders, he said, the partnership would give a total solution to various
problems of waste in the state and the country in general. “This will
bring us to our target of house-to-house sanitation concept, which implies that
everyone, who generates waste must directly or indirectly be involved in the
disposal and management process”, he explained.
