The Presidency has revealed that the waste management contract between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion will not be renewed after its expiration.

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This information was communicated by Callistus Mahama, PhDSecretary to the President, in response to a petition filed by investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni.

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Manasseh Azure Awuni shared the content of the letter from the presidency in an article and deemed the response from government as "one of the best pieces of news of my journalism career."

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Per the letter dated June 11, all payments made to Zoomlion after the contract’s expiration will be thoroughly audited.

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"No further payments will be authorised without proper verification, and any unauthorised payments will be recovered," a part of the letter communicated.

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Fumigation contracts that have not been performed satisfactorily will be reviewed and, where appropriate, terminated in accordance with their terms and upon the advice of the Attorney-General.

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Meanwhile, Cabinet has directed that future sanitation contracts be subjected to a competitive procurement process.

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"Rather than one national contract, there should be regional or district-based tenders for private firms. This could reduce costs through competitive pricing and stimulate innovation, as companies compete on service quality to secure contracts. A cabinet subcommittee will develop the modalities for implementing this," the Presidency further revealed.

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In May, Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare-Addo, revealed that the sanitation module under the Youth Employment Agency will be opened up for competitive bidding, ending any perception of an exclusive arrangement with waste management giant Zoomlion Ghana Limited.

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Earlier this year, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the YEA, Malik Basintale, took a firm stance on wage conditions for Zoomlion workers and noted that government would not renew any contract if sanitation workers continue to earn GH¢250 monthly.

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According to the presidency, the government now intends to increase the sweeper fees to a more liveable income.

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YEA-Zoomlion partnership

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Zoomlion began its partnership with the government under the then Ministry of Youth and Sports through the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) in 2006, now known as the Youth Employment Authority (YEA).

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Under the sanitation module, Zoomlion was tasked with managing youth beneficiaries engaged in public sanitation work across the country.

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According to the original terms, YEA was responsible for recruiting beneficiaries, while Zoomlion handles their supervision. Each beneficiary was to receive GH¢850 monthly — GH¢258 as allowance and GH¢592 as a management fee to cover logistics, protective gear, and administrative costs.

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Zoomlion has long advocated for improved allowances for sanitation workers and is said to have continued operations without government reimbursement for over a year, citing its commitment to environmental health and youth empowerment.

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In fulfilling its obligations, Zoomlion was required to pre-finance beneficiary payments and later claim quarterly reimbursements from government. However, delayed reimbursements over extended periods have prompted calls for interest payments to compensate for financial strain.

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The firm has regularly submitted quarterly and annual reports to YEA since 2008 and has built a nationwide sanitation infrastructure that includes 36 waste treatment plants, of which 18 are material recovery facilities. It also boasts the creation of over 6,000 core jobs, 30,000 tricycle rider positions, and an estimated 200,000 opportunities along its waste management value chain.

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