The Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng has threatened to shutdown a toilet roll manufacturing company at Bawjiase in the Central Region.
The Minister says he will take such action if the company fails to provide proper documentation of its business and mode of operation.
The Minister gave the indication when he paid a short visit to the facility as part of a tour of the area.
It was realized that the factory, which produces Bobo toilet rolls, have also not been following due processes in disposing of waste material after production.
The waste material from the factory is dumped into the Ayensu river which poses a great danger to residents.
“Although the factory is offering employment to some Ghanaians it cannot compromise on the processes of disposing waste material,” the Minister stated.
According to Prof. Frimpong Boateng, the factory does not import raw materials for their production thus depending on local materials for its work, describing such practice as commendable.
“Records of patients from Tamale Central hospital, Sunyani Regional hospital, receipts from the Ministry of Health, vouchers from the neonatal departments at the Municipal hospital in Sunyani have all been brought here to be turned into toilet roll,”Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng noted.
The Minister, however, expressed discontent with the welfare of workers at the facility adding that the company must make welfare of workers a priority.
“The boiler that generates steam at the factory must be changed and adopt the modern method of generating steam and the pit latrine toilet facilities is also dirty and it’s closer to the river. I am sure it’s been diverted somewhere into the river which we may not see unless we are able to ask questions and people answer them,” Professor Frimpong Boateng added.
He however added that the Environmental Protection Agency will be brought on board to help bring solution to this problem.
“The EPA will do a good job at that,” he noted.
