The Public Utility Workers’ Union (PUWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Ghana, has kicked strongly against reported government plans to appoint a transaction adviser as a prelude to Private Sector Participation (PSP) in the operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), describing the move as hasty, premature and potentially disruptive to an ongoing internal recovery programme.
In a statement issued in Accra, the Union said its attention had been drawn to media reports suggesting that the government intended to initiate processes for ECG’s transition into PSP through the appointment of a transaction adviser. PUWU-TUC said the reports were surprising, coming at a time when ECG was already implementing a comprehensive turnaround programme agreed with the Ministry of Energy.
According to the Union, the turnaround programme was the product of extensive and constructive engagements with the Minister of Energy and Green Transition and was deliberately designed to revive ECG through internal reforms, improved efficiency and strengthened management systems rather than through privatisation or private sector control.
PUWU-TUC explained that the programme was being jointly implemented by ECG management and workers under the leadership of the Union, following firm assurances from the Energy Ministry of non-interference in the operations of the power distributor. It said clear deliverables and timelines had been agreed as a roadmap to guide the transformation of the company.
The Union said it was therefore alarmed by reports of an impending appointment of a transaction adviser, insisting that it opposed the move in its entirety. It argued that the decision, if true, undermined the spirit and letter of the agreement reached with the Ministry and risked derailing the gains already made under the turnaround agenda.
PUWU-TUC disclosed that over the past five months, workers of ECG had demonstrated what it described as exceptional commitment, discipline and dedication to the reform programme, leading to measurable improvements in the company’s performance. It said revenue collection had improved significantly, system losses had reduced and power supply had stabilised across many parts of the country, translating into better service delivery for electricity consumers.
The Union noted that these gains had not gone unnoticed at the highest levels of government. It recalled that the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, acknowledged the progress at ECG during the presentation of the 2026 Budget on November 13, 2025. Similar recognition, PUWU-TUC said, had come from the Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr. Mahama Ayariga, during parliamentary proceedings on November 27, 2025, as well as from the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Mr. John Abdullai Jinapor.
In the Union’s view, the recent improvements demonstrated clearly that ECG could be revived and sustained through local expertise, strong worker commitment, effective management support and the deliberate avoidance of political interference, without the need to transfer the company into private hands.
PUWU-TUC raised concerns that the proposed appointment of a transaction adviser at this stage created uncertainty about the nature and scope of the transaction being contemplated. It argued that many of the operational and financial challenges facing ECG were already being addressed internally and questioned the rationale for introducing external actors into the process.
The Union further cautioned that the move could be influenced by external interests seeking to gain control of what it described as a strategic national asset, potentially for the benefit of a few individuals rather than the broader Ghanaian public.
Reiterating that ECG remains a critical pillar of the country’s energy sector, PUWU-TUC stressed that any decision affecting its future must be guided by due process, transparency and broad-based stakeholder consultation, including workers and consumers.
The Union, therefore, called on the government to immediately halt all actions toward Private Sector Participation in ECG at this stage, allow the agreed turnaround programme to run its full course, and only thereafter conduct an objective evaluation of its outcomes in line with Ghana’s national energy distribution policy.
PUWU-TUC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the public interest, safeguarding the jobs and livelihoods of ECG workers, and ensuring the provision of reliable and affordable electricity to all Ghanaians.
