The Government of Ghana, in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is moving to accelerate private sector participation in the operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as part of ongoing reforms aimed at reducing high commercial and technical losses in the power distribution sector.

While authorities have ruled out full privatisation or outright sale of ECG, the reform programme will focus on Public-Private Partnerships and concession-based arrangements designed to improve efficiency and operational performance.

Speaking on Joy FM on Saturday, May 16, 2026, a Technical Adviser at the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Theo Acheampong, disclosed that preparations are underway for the rollout of private sector participation, with implementation expected to begin by early 2027.

According to him, government is actively preparing the restructuring framework and intends to move forward with the process before the end of the year.

“The private sector participation under ECG will happen. End of year going into early next year,” he stated.

However, the proposal has triggered strong opposition from Organised Labour.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo, who also participated in the programme, warned that unions are firmly opposed to any form of privatisation of ECG.

He said labour groups are prepared to take all legitimate steps to resist the reforms, insisting that the process must not undermine national interests.

“The unions are fully prepared and will do everything to ensure that we do not privatise ECG,” he stated.

The government has consistently maintained that the initiative does not amount to privatisation.

In a statement issued on December 30, 2025, the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition clarified that ECG will remain state-owned, with private sector involvement limited to strategic operational support.

The International Monetary Fund has also backed the reforms, stating in a May 15, 2026 statement that strengthening private sector participation in ECG’s distribution operations remains critical to Ghana’s economic recovery under its Policy Coordination Instrument framework.

Economist Professor Godfred Bokpin, who also contributed to the discussion, noted that inefficiencies within state-owned enterprises, particularly ECG, continue to place significant fiscal pressure on the economy.