Zoomlion failed to provide proper record of sanitation module beneficiaries – YEA CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of Youth Employment Agency, has accused Ghana’s waste management giant company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited of failing to provide the agency proper records of beneficiaries who were enrolled onto the sanitation module.

Justin Kodua Frimpong at a press conference on Wednesday said, the YEA as part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment entered into a verification exercise to ascertain the number of beneficiaries on the sanitation module, assess the agency’s relationship with Zoomlion and to verify the payment module.

Mr. Frimpong however disclosed that during the verification exercise, the YEA realized that out of the 45,320 names presented to the agency as beneficiaries under the sanitation module by Zoomlion, only 38,884 turned out for the head count exercise conducted.

He said, “Zoomlion has till date been unable to furnish the agency with payment records of beneficiaries on their payroll” adding that their response to the discrepancy in data was as a result of beneficiary apathy and short notice given to beneficiaries.

Mr. Frimpong expressed concerned about the amount of money being paid to beneficiaries which suggests they are being cheated because the YEA pays GHC400 to Zoomlion as salary for each beneficiary out of which only GHC100 is given to them by the service provider (Zoomlion).

“Each beneficiary is paid GHC100 whiles GHC400 goes to the service provider as management fees, this practice we consider an affront to beneficiaries on the programme,” he stressed.

To this effect, Mr. Frimpong says from June 2018, the YEA will no longer proceed with its contract on the Youth in Sanitation module with Zoomlion.

The agency has decided that, “Management of the sanitation module will be subjected to competitive bidding in line with the Youth Employment Agency Act and Legal Instrument.”

“From the review of the module, management acting under the directive of the governing board has therefore decided that all persons interested in working under the sanitation module to reapply on a date soon to be communicated,” Mr Frimpong said.