The Ministry of Energy has attributed Ghana’s loss of $190 million in Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funding to what it calls poor decisions taken under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the failed Power Distribution Services (PDS) concession arrangement.
The Ministry’s comments follow a ruling by an international arbitration tribunal in London, which dismissed all claims filed by PDS against the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The decision brings to an end a three-year legal battle over the controversial termination of the concession agreement.
Reacting to the ruling in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, Richmond Rockson, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy, said the controversy surrounding PDS could have been avoided if proper due diligence and transparent decision-making had guided the selection of the concessionaire.
“The government has taken note of the tribunal’s decision in the PDS–ECG arbitration. This situation should never have arisen in the first place,” Mr. Rockson stated.
“The poor decisions made during the selection of the concessionaire, which led to the formation of Power Distribution Services (PDS) under the Akufo-Addo administration, brought us here,” he added.
According to Mr. Rockson, the mismanagement of the PDS concession not only cost Ghana $190 million in compact funding from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation in 2019 but also denied the country a critical opportunity to reform and strengthen the operations of the ECG.
He further assured that the government would take the necessary steps to recover any funds owed to the state following the tribunal’s ruling.
“The government assures the public that all necessary steps will be taken to recover every amount due to ECG and the Government of Ghana,” he said.
The PDS concession, signed in 2019, was meant to improve efficiency and financial sustainability in Ghana’s power distribution sector. However, it was terminated months later after government investigations uncovered alleged irregularities in the company’s financial guarantees.
The government has taken note of the tribunal’s decision in the PDS–ECG arbitration. This situation should never have arisen in the first place.
The poor decisions made during the selection of the concessionaire, which led to the formation of Power Distribution Services (PDS)…
— Richmond Rockson, Esq. (@MrRockson) November 5, 2025
PDS loses $390m claim as London tribunal rules in ECG’s favour