‘We won’t be paid much; Ghana will spend less than Rwanda’ – Zipline

Fly Zipline is assuring that its $12.5 million deal with Ghana will not be a burden on the taxpayer, amid concerns of the cost of the project.

Speaking on Citi TV’s Face to Face, the Ghana Systems Integration Manager at Fly Zipline, Daniel Marfo, said the company was “not being paid that much.”

He explained that, like in Rwanda, which has also engaged the services of Zipline, payment will be on a delivery basis.

“We are not being paid $88,000. We are being paid based on the number of facilities delivered to, and the number of average deliveries we make per day for the day. So that’s why this is a paid for service,” Mr. Marfo said.

The Minority in Parliament criticized the agreement, which was passed on Monday, describing it as a rip-off.

It also said operating the services will cost the state $145,000 dollars monthly at each distribution centre.

The $88,000 figure was first mentioned by the government in a rebuttal to the Minority.

Deputy Information Minister, Pius Hadzide, said that the highest estimated cost of implementing the programme at each distribution centre would be $88, 000.

Cheaper operations than in Rwanda

Mr. Marfo remained tight-lipped on the details pertaining to cost, but said Ghana would be paying less than Rwanda.

“What I can tell you is that the cost per trip in Ghana is going to be less than that of Rwanda because Ghana is bigger, there are more distribution centres and it’s scaled up. As you scale up and you get bigger places to deliver to, your overheads are flattened out so it becomes much cheaper.”

Though the cost details of Zipline’s operations in Ghana are also unclear, the Ghana Health Service indicated that the project cost per service delivery of $17 is lower than the purported cost of $22.7 per delivery in Rwanda.

Ahead of operations in Rwanda, the US-based company said the cost per trip was roughly equal to that of the delivery by motorbike or ambulance.

When at full operations, Fly Zipline expects to be running 150 flights per day from each of its four distribution centres.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa | citinewsroom.com | Ghana
Follow @delalibessa

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