 and the Public Utility Workers’ Union of Ghana (PUWU) say the recent sharp rise in revenue at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) demonstrates that the power distributor can be turned around without being privatized, provided workers are adequately supported and management is held to clear, enforceable performance targets.){kind=link}
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Public Utility Workers’ Union of Ghana (PUWU) say the recent sharp rise in revenue at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) demonstrates that the power distributor can be turned around without being privatized, provided workers are adequately supported and management is held to clear, enforceable performance targets.
Addressing a press conference on the government’s proposed privatization of ECG, PUWU, in collaboration with the TUC, pointed to the results of a six-month turnaround programme implemented between July and December 2025.
According to the unions, ECG’s average monthly revenue increased from about GH¢900 million to approximately GH¢1.7 billion over the period, a jump of nearly 90 percent in just half a year.
General Secretary of the TUC, Joshua Ansah, said the figures prove that longstanding revenue leakages can be addressed and operational efficiency improved through internal reforms rather than by handing the utility over to private operators.
The unions noted that the revenue gains have already delivered tangible benefits across the power sector, including more regular payments to power producers and improved stability in electricity supply. They said this has reduced the frequent threats by Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to shut down their plants due to unpaid arrears.
According to the TUC and PUWU, the turnaround was achieved through a collaborative framework involving ECG workers, management and the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, with revenue mobilisation identified as the programme’s central focus.
They stressed that the commitment and professionalism of ECG staff were critical to the gains recorded, arguing that similar or better results could be sustained and scaled up if government deepens structural support and enforces accountability at the management level.
The unions warned that the renewed push to bring in private operators ignores this recent progress and risks dismantling a system that is beginning to show positive results.
They questioned why government appears willing to provide guarantees, incentives and policy stability to private concessionaires, while hesitating to extend comparable support to ECG under public ownership.
The TUC and PUWU also cited improvements at the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), where losses have reportedly been reduced by about eight percentage points over the past year, as further evidence that performance can improve when workers are empowered and targets are clearly defined.
Calling for an immediate suspension of all privatization-related processes, the unions demanded an extension of the current turnaround programme, accompanied by clearer deliverables for management and stronger oversight by state regulators.
They maintained that ECG’s recent revenue performance shows the company is not beyond repair and that, with the right support structures, it can deliver reliable and affordable electricity without being placed in private hands.