The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) under which sanitation falls under, has revealed that government owes Zoomlion Ghana Limited GHC1.2 billion for services provided over the last two years.
The Minister, Ahmed Ibrahim, made this revelation on Accra-based Adom TV Wednesday, April 04, 2025, while addressing delayed payments to firms under the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA).
“I’ve discussed that (how to handle the debt) with the Finance Minister and he said the State’s outstanding debt with Zoomlion is GHC1.2 billion. That is what we inherited,” the Minister stated, explaining that the waste management company’s works go beyond sweeping to treatment of faecal matter amongst others.
This debt, inherited from the Akufo-Addo administration, he said, has been a significant concern for the current government.
Despite this, he underscored the importance of collaboration between the government and private waste management companies in addressing Ghana’s waste management challenges.
“We are collaborating closely with Zoomlion to address waste management challenges in the country, particularly focusing on recycling plastic waste,” he noted.
He stressed the necessity for the government to forge robust partnerships with private waste management firms, while commending Zoomlion for its state-of-the-art sanitation infrastructure.
According to Ahmed Ibrahim, Zoomlion’s substantial investments in modern solid and liquid waste treatment and recycling facilities nationwide remained unparalleled as government does not have such infrastructure to deal with the waste (both municipal solid and liquid waste) being generated daily in the cities.
“Zoomlion’s commitment to building advanced waste management systems across Ghana remains unparalleled,” Ibrahim Ahmed stated.
He admitted the government’s lack of comparable infrastructure, stressing the urgency of public-private collaborations to tackle sanitation issues.
He warned of a nationwide sanitation crisis should Zoomlion halt operations, recalling past practices where faecal waste was dumped directly into the sea, causing environmental and health hazards.
He indicated that Zoomlion’s liquid waste recycling plants now process sewage into compost and charcoal, aligning with a 2016 ban on sea disposal initiated by President John Dramani Mahama during his first term.
Mr. Ibrahim, the Minister, therefore, called for sufficient government attention to sanitation, citing a cholera outbreak in coastal regions like Cape Coast, Winneba, and Takoradi in October last year, advocating intensified public education on sanitation risks.
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