The government of Ghana is set to meet with the Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU) on September 28, 2026, to discuss plans to introduce private-sector participation in the operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo). This meeting is part of the ongoing consultations between the government and stakeholders over the proposed reforms. The union has expressed opposition to the plans, citing improvements in ECG's revenue mobilisation and arguing that further investment and institutional support from the state could address the challenges confronting ECG without bringing in a private operator.
PUWU has announced plans to protest against the proposed arrangement, insisting that the company can be turned around with continued government support. The union will formally present its concerns, proposals, and alternative measures for improving the financial and operational performance of the two state-owned electricity distributors during the meeting. The government has maintained that the consultation process must allow all options to be assessed before a final decision is taken.
Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Richard Gyan-Mensah, has stated that the government understands the concerns raised by PUWU and intends to keep the union involved throughout the process. He added that the meeting will enable the government to consider the improvements reported by ECG workers in revenue mobilisation and assess their argument that additional state investment could make private-sector participation unnecessary.
The transaction adviser working on the proposed private-sector participation has been tasked with engaging workers and other stakeholders as part of the assessment. Feedback from the consultations is expected to cover views from workers, civil society organisations, Parliament, customers, and industry. The transaction adviser will subsequently submit a report to guide the government's consideration of the proposed reforms and other possible options for improving the utilities.
The government has not exhausted all avenues before implementation, according to Richard Gyan-Mensah. He stated that the government remains open to examining the various proposals before arriving at a final position. The meeting between the government and PUWU is expected to provide an opportunity for the union to express its concerns and for the government to provide clarity on the proposed reforms.
ECG has reported improvements in revenue mobilisation, which has been cited by PUWU as evidence that the company can be turned around without private-sector participation. The union argues that further investment and institutional support from the state could address some of the challenges confronting ECG. The government will assess these claims and consider alternative measures for improving the financial and operational performance of ECG and NEDCo.
The outcome of the meeting and the consultations will determine the next steps in the process. The government is expected to consider the report submitted by the transaction adviser and make a final decision on the proposed reforms. Key stakeholders, including workers, civil society organisations, and customers, will be engaged throughout the process to ensure that their concerns and views are taken into account.
Key points
- The government of Ghana is set to meet with PUWU to discuss plans to introduce private-sector participation in ECG and NEDCo operations.
- PUWU has expressed opposition to the plans, citing improvements in ECG's revenue mobilisation.
- The government remains open to examining various proposals before arriving at a final position on the proposed reforms.
