Government owes Zoomlion GH¢1.2million for unpaid waste management services – Minister

The Government owes Zoomlion Ghana Limited GH¢1.2 billion covering services provided over the last two years.

Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), who revealed this in a media interview, said the debt was of much concern to the current administration.

The Minister, however, emphasised the need for collaboration between the government and private waste management companies like Zoomlion to address 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 said.

Mr Ibrahim said it was necessary for the government to forge robust partnerships with private waste management firms and commended Zoomlion for its state-of-the-art sanitation infrastructure.

He said Zoomlion's substantial investments in modern solid and liquid waste treatment and recycling facilities nationwide, remained unparalleled as government did 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,” he added.

The Minister 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 former President Dramani Mahama.

Mr Ibrahim, therefore, called for sufficient government attention to sanitation, citing a cholera outbreak in coastal regions like Cape Coast, Winneba, and Takoradi on October 24, 2023, and advocated for intensified public education on sanitation risks.

GNA