The Office of the President has announced the decision of the government not to renew the contract between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
The deal, which has been in existence for over 19 years, has expired.
This decision was conveyed in a letter dated June 11, 2025, and addressed to investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, who has tirelessly advocated against the contract, voicing concerns over allegations of corruption and mismanagement tied to it.
In the letter, signed by Dr. Callistus Mahama, the Secretary to the President, it was clearly stated: “His Excellency the President acknowledges the serious concerns raised in your letter and responds as follows: 1. Expiration of Contract: The contract between Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited (Zoomlion) has expired and will not be renewed”.
This move follows Awuni’s extensive 12-year investigation into potential irregularities surrounding the agreement, which he first highlighted in 2013.
His findings revealed significant issues, including the inadequate payments made to sweepers under the contract. Specifically, GHS 850 was allocated per sweeper, while Zoomlion retained GHS 600, leaving the sweepers with just GHS 250 per month.
Additionally, Awuni raised concerns about Zoomlion’s near-monopoly on sanitation contracts and their practice of imposing interest on delayed payments from YEA, which reportedly reached GHS 90 million in 2024.
The YEA itself had previously identified problems with verification, indicating in 2018 that there were only 38,884 sweepers actively working, contrary to Zoomlion’s claim of having 45,000 paid positions.
Former YEA CEO, Kofi Baah Agyepong, also supported the call for contract cancellation, asserting that the YEA could effectively manage the sweepers directly.
With this decision, President Mahama aims to achieve “probable cost savings” by terminating the contract with Zoomlion, while also committing to increasing fees that will be paid directly to the sweepers.
Read the President’s full letter to Manasseh below:
