Acting Chief Executive Officer of Youth Employment Agency Malik Basintale slams Zoomlion contract over low wages, reveals 3-point plan going forward.
ACCRA, Ghana — Malik Basintale, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), has vowed not to renew the sanitation contract with Zoomlion Ghana Limited unless the company significantly increases the GH¢250 monthly wage paid to its sanitation workers.
In a trending video shared by Ghana Trends Media on Youtube on April 25, 2025, Mr. Basintale clarifies his plan with respect to the contract where many have slammed Zoomlion for retaining GH¢600 of the GH¢850 allocated per worker as management fees. His stance, spurred by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni’s campaign against the contract’s renewal, has ignited public support, with many Ghanaians praising Basintale’s commitment to fair wages under President John Mahama’s administration.
Malik Basintale Zoomlion Contract Controversy in Ghana 2025
The controversy has drawn mixed reactions, with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation, led by Chairman John Oti Bless, opposing termination due to potential job losses for thousands of Zoomlion workers. Oti Bless, speaking after a tour of Zoomlion’s Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant on April 24, 2025, urged dialogue to improve worker pay rather than scrapping the contract, citing the company’s role in employing Ghanaians. However, Basintale remains resolute, emphasizing that the current terms are unacceptable, and invited public input during a Facebook Live session, signaling a broader push for transparency in Ghana’s sanitation sector.
Former YEA CEO Kofi Agyepong added fuel to the debate, clarifying that no active Zoomlion contract existed when he left office in January 2025, meaning any new agreement would be a fresh contract, not a renewal. This revelation, coupled with Awuni’s call to discontinue the deal entirely and transfer sanitation management to district assemblies, has intensified scrutiny of Zoomlion’s practices. As pressure mounts, Basintale’s bold stand could reshape public-private partnerships in Ghana, with the nation watching to see if his promise to prioritize workers’ welfare will lead to lasting change.
