The government has announced plans to end the practice of awarding a single national sanitation contract, opting instead for competitive regional or district-based tenders to ensure better value and improved service delivery.
This directive, issued by Cabinet, marks a major policy shift in how sanitation contracts, such as those involving street sweeping and waste management, are awarded in Ghana. It comes in response to public concerns over cost inefficiencies and limited competition, following the expiration of the Youth Employment Agency’s (YEA) contract with Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
According to a letter from the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama, addressed to journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, Cabinet has directed that future sanitation contracts be subjected to a competitive procurement process. The letter explains that rather than a single national contract, future arrangements should be based on regional or district-level tenders for private firms.
The Government believes this approach will help reduce costs through competitive pricing and encourage innovation, as companies compete on service quality to secure contracts. A Cabinet subcommittee is expected to develop the modalities for implementing the new system.
This development follows confirmation from the Presidency that the YEA-Zoomlion contract has expired and will not be renewed. In addition, the government says it will conduct a full audit of all payments made to Zoomlion after the contract ended. No further payments will be authorized without proper verification, and any unauthorized disbursements will be recovered.
With potential savings from the proposed changes, the government also intends to increase the fees paid to sanitation workers, particularly sweepers, to provide a more livable income. The reforms extend to fumigation contracts as well. The government indicates that any such contracts that have not been satisfactorily performed will be reviewed and, where necessary, terminated in accordance with contractual terms and upon the advice of the Attorney-General.
