Waste management company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, has dismissed claims regarding the termination of its contract with the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), clarifying that the agreement expired in September 2024 and was not terminated by government.
In a statement, the company explained that the National Street Sweeping Programme was initially expected to end in March 2024 but was extended by an additional six months.
“Contrary to claims in some media reports, this expiration does not constitute a termination or cancellation of the agreement by the government, and that is not what the Office of the President stated,” the statement read.
Zoomlion’s clarification comes after a letter from the Office of the President responding to a petition by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, who first exposed alleged irregularities in the Zoomlion-YEA contract in 2013 and has since called for its cancellation.
Under the previous contract, each sweeper was allocated GHS850, of which GHS600 went to Zoomlion and GHS250 to the worker. In 2024, Zoomlion reportedly charged the state GHS90 million in interest due to delayed payments by YEA.
Zoomlion’s new proposal, which was under review at the YEA, sought to increase the allocation per sweeper to GHS1,308—with GHS888 going to Zoomlion and GHS420 to the worker.
However, President John Mahama has announced that the contract will not be renewed. Instead, he plans to introduce a competitive tendering process for all future sanitation agreements.
He also indicated plans to increase monthly allowances for sanitation workers using the potential cost savings from discontinuing the Zoomlion contract. The President further pledged to recover any unauthorised payments made under the previous arrangement.
Zoomlion welcomed the President’s decision and expressed its full support for efforts to promote transparency and value for money.
“Zoomlion Ghana Limited fully supports and welcomes this approach,” the statement said, noting that the original contract was awarded through a competitive process in 2019. The company added it is ready to participate in future bidding processes.
“We are well prepared and eager to actively participate in any forthcoming competitive procurement processes,” it noted.
Reiterating its commitment to ethical practices and sanitation workers’ welfare, Zoomlion pledged continued support for national sanitation initiatives.
“Zoomlion remains deeply committed to ensuring dignified and sustainable livelihoods for sanitation workers across the country,” the company stated, adding that the President’s directive does not affect its other ongoing contracts with YEA or other government agencies.
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