–BY Daniel Bampoe
In what could mark a financial turning point for Ghana’s largest waste management company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources has pledged firm support for the government’s plan to clear an outstanding debt of GH¢1.2 billion owed the company for services rendered over the past two years.
The assurance came during a high-profile working visit to the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP) at Adjen-Kotoku on Tuesday, April 23.
The Committee, led by its Chairman, John Oti Bless, expressed concern over the long delay in payments, which they say is threatening the sustainability of sanitation service delivery nationwide.
“We’ve seen first-hand the scale of investment Zoomlion has made in our sanitation sector. Yet for two years, they’ve not been paid. It’s unsustainable,” Oti Bless told journalists during the tour.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Finance has earmarked GH¢13 billion in the 2025 national budget to settle sanitation-related arrears, a move that includes the debt owed to Zoomlion.
This comes after years of tension and financial strain between the government and service providers in the waste management sector.
Zoomlion, a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies, has often found itself at the center of discussions surrounding sanitation policy, accountability, and infrastructure development.
During the tour, committee members were taken aback by scenes at a Zoomlion warehouse, where dozens of tricycles intended for distribution to district assemblies were parked unused due to lack of funds for deployment.
The sight underscored the operational challenges Zoomlion faces despite its extensive footprint in the sector.
Committee members lauded Zoomlion’s investments in sanitation infrastructure, praising the company’s resilience and innovation amid growing urban waste and limited resources.
Oti Bless used the occasion to call for a more robust and practical implementation of national sanitation strategies, especially in vulnerable communities and public spaces.
“This is a public health matter. It’s not about politics—it’s about every Ghanaian,” he emphasized, advocating for cross-party collaboration and sustained public commitment to sanitation.
To support a long-term solution, the Committee Chair proposed the establishment of a dedicated sanitation fund, partly financed through existing levies.
“If 40 pesewas is being collected, why not allocate 20 pesewas to sanitation and 20 to energy? That could make a real impact,” he suggested.
He further urged the enforcement of local sanitation by-laws, many of which he said remain ineffective due to lack of gazetting and public awareness. Stronger public education and stricter regulation, he believes, are essential to reversing Ghana’s sanitation woes.
Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group, Joseph Siaw Agyapong, used the visit to make a passionate appeal for consistent support and recognition of the sanitation workforce.
He emphasized that Zoomlion’s mandate goes beyond waste collection.
“What we do is more than cleaning—it’s about fighting disease, protecting the environment, and supporting tourism and public health,” Dr. Agyapong said.
He also called for a review of taxes on critical sanitation equipment to enhance service efficiency and reduce operational costs.
