Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to discontinue the long-standing contract between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and waste management company Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
The contract, which has been in place for 19 years, has faced repeated scrutiny over alleged financial mismanagement and unfair wage distribution.
Concerns over wage allocation
Under the previous contract, which expired in September 2024, each sweeper was allocated GHS850 per month. However, GHS600 was retained by Zoomlion, leaving only GHS250 for the workers. Awuni’s petition highlights that Zoomlion also charged interest when YEA delayed payments, accumulating GHS90 million in interest fees in 2024.
Zoomlion recently revealed that its latest proposal is still under discussion at the YEA. The new proposal seeks to increase the allocation per sweeper to GHS1,308, with GHS888 going to Zoomlion and GHS420 to the workers. Critics argue that this structure continues to favor the company at the expense of sanitation workers.
Lack of transparency in worker numbers
Awuni’s petition also raises concerns about the lack of verifiable data on the number of sweepers employed under the contract.
While Zoomlion claims to manage 45,000 sweepers, a YEA headcount in 2018 found only 38,884 workers on the ground. Despite this discrepancy, Zoomlion has continued to bill the state for 45,000 workers each month.
In 2022, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) reported that many sweepers had stopped working, yet Zoomlion continued to receive payments for the full workforce.
Former YEA CEO Kofi Baah Agyepong previously recommended terminating the contract, arguing that YEA could manage the sweepers directly, as it does with other employment modules.
Call for direct management by assemblies
Awuni’s petition urges President Mahama to discontinue the contract and allow municipal assemblies and the YEA to directly supervise sanitation workers.
He argues that eliminating Zoomlion as a middleman would result in better wages and improved working conditions for sweepers.
While Awuni acknowledges that Zoomlion plays a role in refuse collection under the sanitation improvement package (SIP), he suggests that assemblies could maintain this contract separately to avoid disruptions in waste management.
He expresses confidence that President Mahama will take decisive action to end the YEA-Zoomlion contract, citing past efforts to combat corruption in the sector.
