The Presidency has broken its silence on a high-profile petition by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, confirming that the controversial sanitation contract between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited has officially expired — and will not be renewed.
This development, communicated in a letter dated June 11, 2025 and signed by Dr. Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, marks a major policy pivot in the government’s approach to public sanitation contracts—prioritising decentralisation, cost-effectiveness, and transparency.
The contract, which has for years drawn fire for lack of value for money and opaque payment structures, is now firmly off the table. According to the letter, all post-expiry payments to Zoomlion will be audited, and any funds disbursed without authorisation will be retrieved.
“This marks a bold departure from business-as-usual,” a source familiar with the review process said, adding that public agitation and sustained investigative reporting helped push the decision across the line.
In a significant policy shift, future sanitation contracts will no longer be awarded nationally through sole-sourcing, but rather via open, competitive bidding at the regional and district levels. Cabinet has tasked a subcommittee with designing this new framework.
The aim, according to the statement, is to promote efficiency through competition, drive cost savings, and attract innovation in waste management services.
For the thousands of sanitation workers, often underpaid and overworked under the previous arrangement, the government is also promising relief.
The Presidency hinted at an imminent increase in wages for sweepers, suggesting that the financial space created by eliminating monopolised contracts could be rechanneled into improving the livelihoods of frontline sanitation workers.
The government’s clean-up goes beyond the YEA-Zoomlion deal. All fumigation contracts currently in effect will be reviewed for efficacy and legality, with the Attorney-General’s advice guiding possible contract terminations.
The decision follows a petition submitted by Manasseh Azure on April 27, reviving national debate on the propriety of long-running sanitation contracts and demanding greater oversight. Azure has extensively reported on the YEA-Zoomlion agreement for nearly a decade, highlighting gaps in transparency and public accountability.
While the Presidency’s statement did not directly commend Azure, it acknowledged the petition and outlined actions being taken in response — a move many see as a vindication of civic activism and the power of journalism.
Analysts say the Presidency’s firm stance signals a growing political will to sanitise public procurement systems, especially within the sanitation sector—a space long dominated by legacy contracts and entrenched interests.
“This is not just about cleaning the streets. It’s about cleaning the way the government does business,” a governance expert noted.
The coming months will reveal whether the reforms can be fully implemented and whether the new contracting model lives up to the promises of accountability, competition, and worker empowerment.
