The Director of Communication and Corporate Affairs at Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Emma Adwoa Appiah Osei-Duah, has clarified why sanitation workers under the company’s contract receive a monthly allowance of GH₵258.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Madam Osei-Duah explained that Zoomlion does not unilaterally determine how much is paid to sweepers. According to her, the often-cited GH₵600 figure in public discourse is not entirely allocated for salaries or company profits.
“There is a discussion after the submission of proposals, and both parties agree on what amount is appropriate for each aspect of the contract,” she said. “Zoomlion doesn’t issue a fiat regarding how the money is disbursed.”
She further clarified that the GH₵600 is not a lump sum designated solely for salaries. Instead, it covers two main components: logistics and a management fee.
“A portion of it is allocated for logistics—things like tools, protective clothing, and other consumables—and a part goes into the management fee. The management fee is around GH₵160, though I don’t have the exact figure,” she noted.
Regarding logistics, she explained that some items, referred to as “consumables,” are not supplied monthly but rather quarterly or as needed.
“We don’t go to the market every month. We are a business, so we buy in bulk, stock our stores, and supply quarterly or whenever necessary,” she said.
Responding to concerns about the low wages paid to sweepers, Madam Osei-Duah said Zoomlion has, on several occasions, proposed upward adjustments to the allowances.
“I have run operations before in Zoomlion, so I have worked directly with these people, and I can tell you that we have proposed a couple of times that these monies be adjusted upwards. Anytime there has been a change in the allowances of these workers, we have initiated the discussion,” she said.
However, she noted that her personal opinion on the GH₵258 amount is irrelevant in the context of contractual obligations.
“Whether I am happy with the current payment or not has no place here because the contract doesn’t belong to me. I am assigned to work under specific directives, so I do just that,” she added.
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