Accra, Ghana//-There have been recent claims and attempts to halt Zoomlion Ghana’s contracts with the government regarding waste collection and sanitation.
These concerns stem largely from issues around allowances paid to sweepers involved in the actual cleaning.
While transparency, accountability, and process overhauls are necessary in every institution, we must also be fair in how we treat hardworking local entrepreneurs who are solving real problems.
I recently had the opportunity to visit one of Zoomlion’s waste management facilities near Korle-Bu, a suburb of Accra.
I was impressed by how they process various types of waste, including old car tyres, which would otherwise litter our streets or end up being burnt at landfill sites.
Having lived just two blocks away from a landfill in a rural town, I know firsthand how distressing it is when waste is burned regularly, polluting the entire area. For over 20 years, Zoomlion has transformed the waste management landscape in Ghana. They don’t just collect waste — they process it, recycle it, and invest in long-term environmental solutions.
Let’s not forget: the returns from waste processing are not immediate like government-funded collection contracts. It’s an investment-heavy sector.
Yet, we often make it harder for local companies to thrive, while foreign companies get a pass. Remember when we collapsed local banks that could’ve been saved for 11 billion cedis, yet we spent 25 billion cedis doing so? Instead of working out fair resolutions — like adjusting leadership or restructuring — we opt to destroy what’s ours.
Now, the CEO of the Youth Employment Agency seems intent on dragging this pioneering company down, over allowances and “Bus Stop Boys”?
Yes, let’s push for fair compensation for sanitation workers. But let’s also think about sustaining the entire ecosystem, not just one part of it.
This is a call to collaborate, not cancel. Let’s build, not break. Let’s protect the Ghanaian businesses that have proven themselves and are now being sought after by other countries to help manage their waste.
The Story of ACARP, a subsidiary of Zoomlion Ghana
Did you know that Ghana produces over 3,000 tonnes of solid waste every day, just in Accra? Properly managing that waste is not simple or cheap. But one company is stepping up: ACARP, a subsidiary of Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
Since 2012, ACARP has been handling waste the right way. Their facility in Accra processes 600 tonnes of waste daily, creating compost for farming and recovering plastics, paper, and metals for reuse locally and internationally.
But this post isn’t just about ACARP. It’s about supporting homegrown solutions.
We often criticise African businesses while giving international ones a pass, even though they take profits abroad and face less scrutiny. That needs to change. Waste management should not be politicised—it’s essential to health, the environment, and our economy.
ACARP is expanding
Moving to 1,500 tonnes/day capacity
Setting up mobile plants across all regions (200 tonnes/day each)
Working toward waste-to-energy and e-waste processing in the long term
They also run research labs and training centres to teach modern recycling technologies. This plant is located in Kotoku near Amasaman. Here alone, more than 300 Ghanaians are employed. So indirectly more than 1500 people will be fed here, don’t forget these many tricycle boys who bring their waste.
Let’s celebrate and support African entrepreneurship and innovation. These initiatives impact real lives and protect our future. If a private company can move 600 metric tonnes of waste from the streets in one of their plants, we should watch for this company to fall, BIG NO. This plant alone employs over 300 people and thousands of indirect jobs.
Systems and operations can be improved, and there can always be renegotiations. I don’t know anybody from the company, but I am an entrepreneur and know how it feels to establish a business, especially in Ghana and Africa. Government of Ghana
#SupportLocal
#ZoomlionGhana
#ACARP #GhanaInnovation #WasteToWealth #GreenAfrica #EnvironmentalImpact
Support Local. Think Long Term. Be Fair.
#SupportLocalBusinesses #ZoomlionGhana #WasteManagement #MadeInGhana #EnvironmentalSustainability #PublicPrivatePartnership #GhanaFirst
By Prince Ntiamoah Boampong, Entrepreneur, Pastor and Author
