President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama, has announced that the government will not renew the 19-year-old contract between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
He also indicated that the government intends to increase the monthly allowances paid to sweepers, using the probable cost savings from discontinuing the contract with Zoomlion.
This decision was communicated in a letter addressed to investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, who had petitioned the President to terminate the contract due to alleged corruption and mismanagement. The petition included evidence from previous investigations.
The President’s letter, dated June 11, 2025, and signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama, stated:
“His Excellency the President acknowledges the serious concerns raised in your letter and responds as follows:
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Expiration of Contract: The contract between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited has expired and will not be renewed.”
The letter also responded to various issues raised by Manasseh, including the meagre wages paid to sweepers and the near-monopoly Zoomlion holds over sanitation contracts in Ghana.
Manasseh, who first exposed alleged corruption in the Zoomlion-YEA contract in 2013, has spent the last 12 years pushing for its cancellation. Many believed the contract was “untouchable” due to Zoomlion’s perceived influence across both the NDC and NPP administrations.
Under the contract, each sweeper was allocated GHS850. Zoomlion retained GHS600 and paid GHS250 to the worker. In 2024, Zoomlion charged the state GHS90 million in interest for delayed payments by YEA.
Zoomlion’s latest proposal, which was under review at the YEA, sought to increase the allocation to GHS1,308 per sweeper—with GHS888 going to Zoomlion and GHS420 to the worker.
However, the YEA could not verify the 45,000 sweepers Zoomlion claimed to be managing. In 2018, YEA data showed only 38,884 sweepers, contradicting Zoomlion’s figures. Despite multiple requests, Zoomlion reportedly failed to submit a payroll for verification.
In 2022, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly complained that most sweepers had stopped working, yet Zoomlion continued to bill the state for 45,000 people monthly.
The immediate past CEO of the YEA, Kofi Baah Agyepong, had also recommended cancelling the contract, arguing that the agency could independently manage the sweepers’ module—just as it handles other YEA programmes. Notably, YEA pays beneficiaries of other modules more than the sweepers, who are paid through Zoomlion.
In his April 2025 petition, Manasseh proposed that the assemblies and the YEA directly supervise the sweepers using funds from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF). This, he argued, would improve accountability and ensure better wages for the workers.
President Mahama’s response addressed all major concerns raised in the petition. Below is the full text of the government’s response:
RE: PETITION TO DISCONTINUE THE EXPIRED CONTRACT BETWEEN THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AGENCY (YEA) AND ZOOMLION GHANA LIMITED
I refer to your letter dated April 27, 2025, on the above matter. His Excellency the President acknowledges the serious concerns raised and responds as follows:
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Expiration of Contract: The contract between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited (“Zoomlion”) has expired and will not be renewed.
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Audit of Payments and Claims: All payments made to Zoomlion after the contract’s expiration will be thoroughly audited. No further payments will be authorised without proper verification, and any unauthorised payments will be recovered.
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Competitive Procurement: Cabinet has directed that future sanitation contracts be subjected to competitive procurement. Rather than a single national contract, regional or district-based tenders should be introduced. This is expected to reduce costs, promote competition, and improve service quality. A cabinet subcommittee will develop modalities for implementation.
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Sweeper Fees: With anticipated cost savings, government intends to increase sweeper wages to a more liveable amount.
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Fumigation Contracts: Any fumigation contracts found to be unsatisfactory will be reviewed and, where appropriate, terminated based on legal advice from the Attorney-General.
Please accept the assurances of my highest esteem.
Signed,
Callistus Mahama, PhD
Secretary to the President
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