The Chairman of Parliament’s Select Committee on Environment, Science, and Technology, Yaw Frimpong Addo, has urged Ghanaians to remain calm following recent developments regarding the Youth Employment Agency’s (YEA) sanitation module partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
Addressing concerns that the fallout between YEA and Zoomlion could threaten the country’s environmental sanitation efforts, Frimpong Addo assured that there is no cause for alarm.
His remarks come in the wake of statements by YEA Chief Executive, Malik Basintale, who disclosed that the agency would not be renewing its contract with Zoomlion in its current form.
Speaking after leading a Committee tour of the Jospong Group of Companies’ waste treatment facilities across four regions, Frimpong Addo said that much of the information circulating in the public domain does not reflect the reality on the ground. He stressed the need for an urgent stakeholder engagement to clarify the situation.
“Let me emphasize that some of the news items purportedly coming from the YEA are not entirely accurate,” he stated. “People should not panic. This will not disrupt environmental sanitation efforts.”
Frimpong Addo, who is also the Member of Parliament for Manso Adubia, explained that issues relating to the YEA’s waste management modules fall within the purview of Parliament. He assured that the Committee will prioritize these concerns in its report, which will be presented to Parliament following its fact-finding tour of the middle belt of Ghana.
“If there are concerns about worker allocations or any other challenges, we will address them comprehensively in our report. Parliament is the forum where the representatives of the people meet to deliberate and resolve such matters,” he said.
While acknowledging that concerns over potential job losses—estimated at over 40,000 workers—are legitimate, Frimpong Addo emphasized that the situation is manageable and remains within Parliament’s control.
He also highlighted the critical role of collaboration between government and the private sector in ensuring sustainable waste management and environmental protection.
“We need to sit down with the private sector to discuss the challenges and find solutions. It is a partnership, and any challenges must be resolved through cooperation,” he reiterated.
During their tour, the Committee visited the Ashanti Region, where they inspected operations at the Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant (KCARP), the Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the Medical Waste Treatment Plant. They continued to the Western North, Bono, and Ahafo Regions, visiting the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plants (IRECOP) at Sefwi Wiawso, Sunyani, and Goaso, respectively.