The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Public Utility Workers’ Union (PUWU) have called on the government to halt plans to privatize the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), citing recent revenue improvements as evidence that the utility can be reformed under public ownership.
At a press conference on the proposed privatization, TUC General Secretary Joshua Ansah said that a six-month turnaround programme implemented between July and December 2025 had boosted ECG’s average monthly revenue from aboutGH¢900 million to about GH¢1.7 billion, nearly a 90% increase.
The unions said the gains demonstrate that internal reforms, coupled with clear management targets and worker support can improve efficiency and reduce revenue leakages without involving private operators. They added that the improved revenues have allowed for regular payments to power producers, improved electricity supply and reduced threats by Independent Power Producers to shut down plants over unpaid arrears.
The unions also cited the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), where losses have been reduced by about eight percentage points over the past year, as further evidence that performance can improve when workers are empowered.
TUC and PUWU have called for an immediate pause on all privatization-related processes and the extension of the current turnaround programme with clear deliverables for management and stronger oversight by state regulators.
They maintained that ECG’s recent performance shows the utility is not broken beyond repair and, with the right support structures, can deliver reliable and affordable power without private ownership.