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Former YEA Boss Denies Undercutting Sweepers’ Pay, Exposes Zoomlion’s Rejected Proposal
Former Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Kofi Agyapong, has issued a sharp rebuttal to claims made by Zoomlion Ghana Limited, rejecting assertions that his administration proposed reducing sweepers’ allowances under the agency’s sanitation module.
In a strongly worded statement responding to Zoomlion’s April 30, 2025, press release, Mr Agyapong described the company’s claims as “misleading” and “deeply unfair”, stressing that no GHS300 counter-proposal was ever made under his leadership.
“The last and only counter-proposal submitted to the YEA Board under my leadership was GHS500 per month to sweepers – an amount we reluctantly proposed due to budget constraints,” he clarified.
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According to Mr Agyapong, Zoomlion’s November 2024 proposal requested that each beneficiary be allocated GHS1,308, of which only GHS420 would go to the sweeper, with a staggering GHS888 retained by Zoomlion as a management fee.
He described this structure as “excessive, unjustified, and deeply unfair” to the workers whose labour sustains the sanitation programme.
“This proposal was rejected outright by my management and board, and we formally communicated our disapproval to Zoomlion,” he stated.
Zoomlion, however, claimed that the proposal “is still under discussion”. Mr Agyapong dismissed this assertion, noting that no further negotiations occurred under his tenure after the initial rejection. Any current dialogue, he said, is solely between Zoomlion and the new YEA leadership.
Mr Agyapong also used the opportunity to lift the lid on other key reform proposals his administration advanced during contract renewal talks with Zoomlion — proposals he says were all resisted by the company:
- Direct Payment to Beneficiaries: The YEA sought to take over direct payments to sweepers, as done under other modules, to enhance transparency and accountability. Zoomlion refused.
- Control Over Logistics: The Agency proposed that all logistics procured under the contract be stored in YEA warehouses to allow for proper oversight and inventory management. Zoomlion also rejected this move.
“These reforms were aimed at protecting public interest and ensuring fairness to the beneficiaries,” he added. “Zoomlion’s refusal to accept them is precisely why my administration declined to renew their contract.”
Mr Agyapong urged the current YEA leadership to remain resolute and not give in to corporate pressure that undermines the welfare of sanitation workers and the Ghanaian taxpayer.
“Any effort to reform or challenge the Zoomlion-YEA arrangement should not be seen as partisan politics but as a necessary fight for transparency, equity, and public accountability,” he concluded.
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