The government has firmly pledged to recover any unauthorised payments made to Zoomlion Ghana Limited after the expiration of its long-standing contract with the Youth Employment Agency (YEA). This commitment was communicated in a letter dated June 11, 2025, signed by Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, in response to a petition by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.
The letter states that all payments made to Zoomlion after the contract’s expiration will undergo thorough auditing. No further payments will be authorised without proper verification, and any unauthorised funds will be reclaimed. The government confirmed that the contract between YEA and Zoomlion, which lasted 19 years, has officially expired and will not be renewed.
This decisive action follows years of public scrutiny and advocacy, including Mr. Azure’s petition dated April 27, 2025, which raised serious concerns about corruption and mismanagement within the contract. The government’s directive signals a strong focus on financial accountability and transparency.
In addition to ending the contract, the government plans to overhaul sanitation service procurement by introducing competitive bidding processes. Future contracts will shift from a single national contractor model to regional or district-based tenders, encouraging competition and innovation among private firms.
The government also intends to increase the fees paid to sanitation sweepers, aiming to provide them with a more liveable income, funded partly by probable cost savings from discontinuing the Zoomlion contract.
Furthermore, the government will review fumigation contracts and terminate those not performed satisfactorily, based on advice from the Attorney-General.
This comprehensive approach underscores the administration’s commitment to improving public financial management, enhancing service delivery, and ensuring fair treatment of frontline sanitation workers.
