The Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Malik Basintale has provided justification as to why there was a huge payment in rent facility by the Agency in 2024.
The YEA appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday August 22, 2025, where it emerged that the Agency’s rent had shot up by 72 percent from GHC 3.2 million in 2023 to GHC5.5 million in 2024.
Committee members expressed concern over the sharp increase and the silence of management on the matter.
Explaining the surge, Malik Basinatle said YEA officials said the Ministry of Works and Housing had directed them to contract a private firm, K&A, to manage the facility due to its deteriorating state.
“Somewhere in 2023, the facility was handed over to a private manager that’s K&A facility management group. There were talks and the plan as for YEA to pay to the facility manger and the manager pays to the Works and Housing Ministry.
“In 2023 the rent was paid and in 2024 the facility manger decided to upgrade a lot of amenities in the facility and so it led to the astronomical rise in rent payment,” he stated.
He continued that plans are underway for the Agency to get its own permanent facility.
“After the audit review in 2024, we agreed with the recommendations made that the YEA should take steps in finding a permanent facility so we avoid the payment of rent. So the Minister and I have engaged on that
The Internal Auditor of YEA also said “in 2023 they (the private facility manager) brought us a bill. If we are not able to pay, then we have to move out and find our own facility,” one officer explained.
Youth Development and Empowerment Minister, George Opare-Addo, assured the Committee that plans are underway to secure a permanent office for the Agency to resolve its rent challenges.
“We are working on that, and in due time we will report on what facilities have been allocated so that YEA can move into a more permanent premises,” he said.
On Zoomlion’s future with the Agency, Basintale noted that a committee has been established to evaluate tenders for the Agency’s new sanitation module, raising questions about whether long-time waste management partner, Zoomlion Ghana Limited will be engaged again.
Mr. Basintale, who stopped short of confirming if Zoomlion would retain the contract, assured that beneficiaries under the new module will receive fair remuneration.
“I would not pay any beneficiary less than the minimum wage. We are looking at close to 300 percent increments in their payments, and that’s assured,” he said.
On the welfare of YEA beneficiaries, Mr. Basintale disclosed that arrears for two months’ allowances had been settled for validated workers.
“As of this morning, their monies have trickled in, and they’ve received two months’ cover,” he confirmed, noting that some workers were excluded for failing to validate their status.
Mr. Basintale added that a committee is currently reviewing bids for the sanitation module. He emphasized that the outcome of the process will determine Zoomlion’s role going forward.
“That expectation does not lie within my domain. It lies within the domain of the tender evaluation committee. I’m not a member of that committee, so I cannot tell whether at the end of the evaluation Zoomlion can win a contract or not,” he explained.
By Christabel Success Treve
