Accra: Mr. Malik Basintale, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), has unveiled a plan to increase allowances for the sanitation module beneficiaries by over 300 per cent. This announcement marks a significant shift in the compensation structure for these workers.

According to Ghana News Agency, this decision follows the agency's suspension of its contract with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, which allegedly paid workers a monthly sum of GHS258. Mr. Basintale emphasized that this figure is no longer acceptable, stating, "When I took office, I swore by my late grandfather's grave that no contract would be signed to pay GHS258. 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."

Mr. Basintale made this announcement during a press briefing after his appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament at Parliament House in Accra. The PAC public hearing is scheduled from Tuesday, August 19, to Tuesday, August 26, to consider the Auditor-General's report on MDAs for the year ending December 31, 2024. The six-day hearing will address significant issues, including Ghana's public debt and weaknesses in financial reporting and asset management.

Furthermore, the Acting CEO disclosed that approximately 5,000 beneficiaries who failed to report to duty would forfeit two months of unpaid salaries. He clarified that while no ghost names were found, those absent from their duties would lose two months' pay. Validated beneficiaries confirmed that their allowances had been credited to their accounts.

Mr. Basintale also noted that a committee had been set up to review tenders for selecting a new waste management service provider, signaling a new chapter for the agency's sanitation module.