The General Secretary of the Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU), Timothy Nyame, has criticised the World Bank’s position on private sector participation in the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), describing it as “disingenuous” and an “insult to Ghanaians.”

His comments come after the TUC rejected the proposed private sector participation in ECG and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).

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He said PUWU fully supports the Trades Union Congress (TUC)’s opposition to any arrangement that could result in ECG losing control of key aspects of its operations to private companies.

Speaking in an interview on TV3 on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, Timothy Nyame questioned the benefits Ghana has gained from previous privatisation initiatives introduced under World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditionalities.

“PUWU totally associates itself with the press release. We have seen all that has happened with the World Bank and IMF conditionalities on privatisation of state institutions. What have we derived from it?” he said.

According to him, ECG has made progress since President John Dramani Mahama assumed office, arguing that the improvement has been driven by the company’s board, management and workers.

“I can recall that in the time His Excellency, the President assumed office, the power sector issues were key to his heart. And as you recall, the team that he put in place, the Board of Directors together with the workers of ECG have turned around the fortunes of this organisation,” he stated.

He said the union has therefore been asking government to support ECG and allow it to remain under public ownership.

“That is what we have been reminding government of. In which we have asked government to also assist us so that ECG should remain a public entity,” he added.

Timothy Nyame also rejected the explanation by the World Bank Country Director, Dr Adrian Alter, that private sector participation in ECG would be limited to revenue collection.

“For the World Bank Country Director to say it is only in revenue collection, we see it as disingenuous and an insult to Ghanaians,” he said.

ANAS/EB

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