The sanitation module contract between Zoomlion Ghana Limited and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) ended in 2024, and the government has declared that it would not extend it.
The Presidency confirmed the agreement’s termination and provided further steps in a statement released on June 11, 2025, in response to a petition filed by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.
“All payments made to Zoomlion after the contract’s expiration will be subjected to a comprehensive audit, no additional payments will be approved without proper verification, and any unauthorised disbursements will be recovered,” the statement read
Citing possible savings from the terminated contract, the government also announced intentions to raise the sanitation workers’ allowances under the module.
“With the anticipated cost reductions, the government aims to enhance the compensation for sweepers, providing them with more sustainable and liveable incomes,” the statement added
Malik Basintale, the Youth Employment Agency’s (YEA) acting chief executive officer, had declared unequivocally that if the present GH¢250 salary for sanitation workers doesn’t change, the agency will not renew its contract with Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
Basintale criticized the current rules of engagement in a strong-worded Facebook post on Friday, April 25, 2025, calling them unfair and exploitative to Ghanaian youth.
However, Zoomlion Ghana Limited clarified its position and responsibilities under the Youth in Sanitation Module in response to recent media headlines and social media conversations over its long-standing relationship with the YEA. #
The trash management company said in a statement that it had entered into a contract with the Ministry of Youth and Sports at the time, which is now known as the YEA, under the National Youth Employment Program.
According to the statement, the YEA works with District Assemblies to handle recruitment, while Zoomlion is responsible for overseeing and managing beneficiaries who perform public cleaning activities under the terms of the contract.
Zoomlion pointed out that it has continuously pushed for beneficiaries to receive higher allowances.
The company also revealed that, in accordance with the arrangement, it must pre-finance payments to the young employees and only get quarterly reimbursement from the government.
Source: newsthemegh.com