Ghana’s government plans to introduce private sector participation in the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) by early 2027, a Finance Ministry technical adviser confirmed on Saturday, May 16, amid firm resistance from organised labour.
Dr. Theo Acheampong made the disclosure on Joy FM, stating the initiative is being pursued jointly by the Government of Ghana and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to address persistent commercial and technical losses at ECG while improving electricity distribution efficiency across the country.
“The private sector participation under ECG will happen,” Dr. Acheampong said.
The government has drawn a clear line against characterising the move as a full sale. Cabinet has endorsed a public-private partnership and concession arrangement designed to strengthen ECG’s operational performance and service delivery without transferring ownership of the company. Dr. Acheampong reiterated that Cabinet had taken a definitive position requiring private sector involvement but stopping short of an outright sale.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has pushed back hard. Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo, Deputy Secretary-General of the TUC, told Joy FM that affiliated unions were fully prepared and willing to use every legitimate means to prevent what they consider to be the privatisation of ECG.
The standoff reflects a broader tension over how Ghana manages structural reforms tied to its IMF programme. The ECG initiative forms part of efforts to stabilise the energy sector, strengthen revenue collection, and reduce financial inefficiencies that have long burdened the power distribution company.
With the government targeting early 2027 for the arrangement to take effect, the coming months are likely to sharpen the dispute between the state and organised labour over the future of public utility management in Ghana.
