1 week Ago By News Ghana
News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/ghana-lawmakers-vow-to-settle-1-2-billion-debt-owed-to-sanitation-giant-zoomlion/Ghana’s Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources has pledged to resolve a longstanding 1.
2 billion Ghana cedi ($1.2 billion) debt owed to Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a key player in the country’s waste management sector.The assurance came during a visit by lawmakers to Zoomlion’s Accra Compost and Recycling Plant, where committee chairman John Oti Bless confirmed Finance Ministry commitments to clear arrears for sanitation services rendered over the past two years.
“A budget allocation of 13 billion cedis has been earmarked to settle outstanding obligations, including Zoomlion’s,” Oti Bless stated, addressing concerns over the firm’s strained operations. “How can a company function without liquidity after importing tricycles for district assemblies and maintaining critical infrastructure?” he questioned, referencing unpaid contracts that have hampered Zoomlion’s ability to deliver services.The Jospong Group subsidiary, which handles waste collection, recycling, and public health initiatives nationwide, received praise from lawmakers for its investments in sanitation infrastructure.
Committee members lauded the Accra plant’s efficiency, with Oti Bless urging public support for local industries: “This isn’t about politics it’s about safeguarding national health.”Despite these assurances, challenges persist in translating policy into grassroots impact. Oti Bless emphasized the need for stricter enforcement of sanitation bylaws, many of which remain unenforceable due to delayed gazetting.
He proposed reallocating 20 pesewas from each sanitation levy payment directly to waste management, alongside intensified public education campaigns. “Change must reach the streets, where filth still threatens communities,” he stressed.Zoomlion Executive Chairman Joseph Siaw Agyepong appealed for tax relief on imported equipment and stronger legal backing to prosecute sanitation offenders.
“Our work prevents cholera, protects the environment, and boosts tourism, yet recognition and incentives lag,” he noted, highlighting the disconnect between operational costs and government support.The debt resolution pledge arrives as Ghana battles recurring sanitation-related health crises and urbanization-driven waste management pressures. Analysts warn that delayed payments to contractors like Zoomlion risk destabilizing essential services, particularly in low-income areas reliant on public sanitation programs.
While the 13 billion cedi budget signals progress, stakeholders stress the urgency of converting pledges into disbursements to avert further service deterioration.This standoff underscores a broader tension in Ghana’s public sector: balancing fiscal constraints with critical infrastructure investments. As lawmakers push for a dedicated sanitation fund and tighter bylaws, the focus shifts to whether systemic reforms can outpace the mounting waste crisis and if Zoomlion’s patience will endure until the promised funds materialize.
News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/ghana-lawmakers-vow-to-settle-1-2-billion-debt-owed-to-sanitation-giant-zoomlion/.
