Some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Central Region have raised objections over the persistent deduction of Zoomlion Ghana Limited’s fumigation fees directly from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), despite minimal or no evidence of the promised fumigation exercises.

They explained that these deductions, often amounting to thousands of cedis per quarter, had left the Assemblies strapped for funds needed for essential services like road repairs, school infrastructure and health initiatives.

The Assemblies in separate engagement with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources, confirmed having officially lodged complaints about the practice and described it as “unfair,” but nothing, they said appeared to come out of it.

The issue stemmed from a 2022 policy that had mandated source deductions to streamline payments for Zoomlion Company Limited, but the MMDAs argued that it lacked oversight mechanisms to verify service delivery.

Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a major player in waste management and sanitation under the Zoomlion Foundation, had held contracts with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for nationwide fumigation drives aimed at curbing diseases like cholera and malaria.

Members of the Committee undertook a two-day working assessment of the state of sanitation and water management and services in selected Assemblies in the Central Region which ended on Friday.

The Assemblies are Mfantseman, Fosu and Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipalities and the Cape Coast Metropolis.

The tour formed part of efforts by the government to strengthen interventions to reduce sanitation-related diseases and improve waste management and quality water supply in the country.

It also formed part of the Committee’s oversight responsibility to gather first-hand information on challenges confronting Assemblies in the water and sanitation sector.

Accompanying the delegation were officials of Ghana Water Company Limited, Community Water and Sanitation Agency, Zoomlion Company Limited and other key stakeholders to respond to queries raised.

However, the assemblies largely expressed satisfaction with the work of Zoomlion Company Limited on disinfection, which had helped reduce germs and disease-causing organisms in public spaces, making schools, markets, toilets and communities safer for people to use.

Corroborating the concerns raised by the Assemblies during a media briefing after the tour, Mr John Oti Bless, Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkwanta North, Chairman of the Committee expressed strong reservations about Zoomlion’s work across all Assemblies visited.

He stated that the information gathered so far about Company’s fumigation exercises in the Region and others visited last year, was not encouraging.

He said the first, second and third-quarter funds accruing to more than GH¢100,000 had been unfairly deducted at source in those areas.

It was discovered that Zoomlion had been carrying out disinfection instead of fumigation, as stipulated in their contract with the government, yet payments had been deducted without corresponding work.

Mr Oti Bless described fumigation as the use of gas or fumes to eliminate pests or harmful organisms in enclosed spaces, while disinfection involved chemicals or agents to kill germs on surfaces, thereby reducing bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms.

The Chairman of the Committee reiterated the government’s commitment to tackling sanitation and waste management challenges, stressing that accurate data from the Assemblies was essential for effective solutions.

He added that as a Committee, they had no personal vendetta against any individual or company, but they firmly believed that no one could be paid for services not rendered, particularly where taxpayers’ money was involved, particularly from the poor and must not be squandered.

Mr Oti Bless urged residents to support the fight against poor sanitation by keeping their surroundings clean, particularly as the rainy season approached, to prevent disease outbreaks linked to waste accumulation.

On water and sanitation, he called for the re-prioritisation of water as a national security issue, noting that various sources continued to be polluted due to human negative activities.

He acknowledged how massive road construction projects across the country had disrupted water supply and pledged collaboration with relevant ministries to remedy the situation.

He also decried the lack of supervision at various MMDAs as a key factor in the country’s growing insanitary conditions and urged the government to employ qualified professionals in these roles..

A highlight of the tour was the delegation’s visit to Zoomlion Company Limited’s state-of-the-art Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant at Mankessim, where they toured and explored innovations in solid waste management.

They also inspected the Sekyere Hemang Headworks, a critical facility ensuring potable water supply to Cape Coast and Elmina and gained insights into ongoing upgrades and efforts to combat water scarcity.