The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and its affiliate, the Public Utility Workers’ Union (PUWU), have taken a firm stance against proposed plans to introduce private sector involvement into the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), asserting that recent performance improvements demonstrate that full privatisation is unnecessary.
At a press briefing in Accra, union leaders highlighted substantial gains recorded under a government-supported turnaround initiative implemented between July and December 2025. According to the unions, ECG’s average monthly revenue surged from roughly GH¢900 million to about GH¢1.7 billion during the period, an increase approaching 90 percent, suggesting internal reforms and enhanced accountability can deliver results without ceding control to private firms.
TUC General Secretary Joshua Ansah emphasised that the success of the turnaround programme, achieved through coordinated efforts among workers, management and the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, proves that “the utility can be turned around without being privatised, if workers are fully supported and management is given clear, enforceable deliverables.
The unions argue that the revenue gains have had tangible positive effects on the energy sector, including more consistent payments to power producers and a reduction in threats by Independent Power Producers to shut down plants due to unpaid arrears. They also pointed to a drop in losses at NEDCo as further evidence that internal reforms are yielding improvements.
Despite these developments, the government has signalled plans to pursue private sector participation, a model the Energy Ministry describes as distinct from outright privatisation, involving private entities managing specific operational areas to boost efficiency while keeping ECG under state ownership.
However, TUC and PUWU leaders contend that any move toward private involvement disregards recent progress and risks undermining a system that is beginning to function more effectively. They questioned government incentives and guarantees being offered to potential private concessionaires, noting a lack of equivalent support for public sector improvements.
In addition to urging a halt to ongoing privatisation-related processes, the unions called for an extension of the current turnaround programme with clearer management deliverables and greater oversight by state regulators. “ECG’s recent revenue performance shows the utility is not broken beyond repair,” they asserted, urging policymakers to prioritise strengthening internal systems over external takeovers.
Discussions over the future of ECG and NEDCo highlight ongoing tensions in Ghana’s energy sector, where financial sustainability, service delivery, and national ownership remain hotly contested among labour groups, policymakers, and civil society stakeholders as 2026 begins.
