Timothy Nyame, the General Secretary of the Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU), has defended the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), refuting claims that it is a weak or failing institution.
His comments come amidst growing concerns surrounding the company, particularly following the government’s establishment of a technical committee to probe ECG’s operations and advise on whether privatisation is a viable option.
According to Mr Nyame, while ECG has indeed faced significant challenges in recent years, these issues should not be seen as a reflection of the company’s inherent weaknesses.
He stressed that many public institutions in Ghana face similar struggles, and with time, ECG will overcome these hurdles.
“It is not as we all think, ECG is actually not worse as we are all thinking, there are times that you face challenges and I am sure this is the challenging times ECG is going through and these challenges are not new to the public,” Nyame stated on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, April 2 while discussing the report on ECG presented to the Energy Minister by the Technical Committee.
On Wednesday, the technical committee presented its report to the Energy Minister. In the report, the government is advised to fully privatise ECG or partially privatise it.
The discussion has sparked public debate, with critics arguing that privatisation could lead to more efficient services, while others fear it could worsen the affordability and accessibility of electricity for ordinary Ghanaians.
ECG, which has long been responsible for power distribution across Ghana, has been grappling with a variety of issues, including unreliable power supply, increasing debts, and allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
Despite efforts to reform the company and improve its service delivery, the public perception of ECG remains negative.
Frequent power outages have affected both households and businesses, and billing discrepancies have caused frustration among customers.
In recent years, the company has faced multiple scandals that have further dented its reputation. One notable case involved a recent loss of over 1,000 containers at the Tema port.
Read also: Energy Minister must recover stolen ECG containers or be held accountable – Ntim Fordjour
The company has, over the years, faced issues of revenue mismanagement. In February this year, a comprehensive 2024 audit of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), conducted by audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), uncovered a GH¢5.3 billion revenue discrepancy.
According to the PwC report, ECG continued to under-declare revenues to the regulator.
There have also been accusations of political interference and inefficiencies within the management structure, all of which have compounded the company’s struggles.
In light of these challenges, Mr Nyame remains optimistic that ECG can bounce back if it receives the right support and resources. He urged the government to consider the privatisation in a “holistic” approach, rather than rushing into privatisation, which he argues may not necessarily solve the underlying issues.
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