Zoomlion Ghana Limited has acknowledged that the GH¢258 monthly allowance given to its workers is inadequate but stated that it cannot be held responsible for the low amount, as it is the government, through the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), that determines and disburses the payments.
This follows increasing public criticism and calls for the non-renewal of Zoomlion’s contract due to concerns of alleged exploitation of its beneficiaries.
The contract, which dates back to 2006 under President John Agyekum Kufuor, is renewable every four years and has reportedly expired.
The matter gained national attention after investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni raised questions over the current agreement between YEA and Zoomlion, under which the company receives GH¢850 per worker, but only GH¢258 is paid to the beneficiaries. Critics have described the situation as both meagre and exploitative.
Some stakeholders have since proposed that the government should directly pay the beneficiaries through District Assemblies and the YEA to promote transparency and ensure fair compensation.
Speaking to journalists in Kumasi on Wednesday, April 30, Eugene Amo Asamoah, Business Development Manager at the Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant, admitted that the GH¢258 allowance is insufficient.
However, he stressed that Zoomlion does not set the amount and has in fact advocated for an increase that was not approved.
“Zoomlion is not the one that determines the amount that is supposed to be paid to the beneficiaries. It is the government under YEA that determines the amount to be paid to these beneficiaries. There has been an engagement with the YEA to increase their money to 500, but it hasn’t been heeded.
“So now we are here, if we feel that these allowances are small, which they are, the government, which is the paymaster, who pays the beneficiaries, should help them by increasing their allowances or the model so that these beneficiaries can be catered for.”
He further explained that while the government is contractually obligated to pay the workers directly through YEA and District Assemblies, Zoomlion stepped in to make upfront payments due to the government’s delays, expecting subsequent reimbursements.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency, Malik Basintale, has announced that the contract with Zoomlion will not be renewed in its current form.