YEA Boss to triple allowances for sanitation module beneficiaries under new waste deal

The Chief Executive Officer of the Youth
Employment Agency (YEA), Malik Basintale, has announced sweeping reforms to improve the welfare of beneficiaries under the agency’s sanitation module, including a more than 300% increase in allowances.

The bold move comes after YEA terminated its long-standing contract with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, which had been paying beneficiaries GH¢258 monthly — a figure that sparked widespread public criticism as woefully inadequate.

Speaking to journalists after his appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday, August 22, 2025, Mr. Basintale revealed that a new waste management agreement was being finalised. A dedicated committee, he said, had been tasked with reviewing tenders to select a service provider capable of delivering better value for beneficiaries.

"When I took office, I swore by my late grandfather's grave that no contract would be signed to pay GH¢258. That figure is unacceptable in this modern era. In any future contract, we will not go below the minimum wage. We are looking at more than a 300 percent increase," he stressed.

Mr. Basintale also addressed irregularities uncovered during validation of beneficiaries, clarifying that the agency had not discovered ghost names but rather cases of absenteeism. He disclosed that about 5,000 beneficiaries who failed to report to their duty posts would forfeit two months of unpaid allowances.

"We have not discovered ghost names; what we found are individuals who were absent. Those at post have been validated, but those absent will lose two months' pay.

“Beneficiaries who were validated can attest that their allowances have already been credited to their accounts,” he explained.

The reforms, once fully implemented, are expected to significantly improve the livelihoods of YEA sanitation workers while tightening accountability in the system.