President John Dramani Mahama has called on organised labour to back the Government’s plan to introduce private sector participation in the billing and metering operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), stressing that the move will not result in job losses.
Speaking to union leaders at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, President Mahama explained that inefficiencies in ECG’s billing and metering had hindered revenue collection, limiting the company’s capacity to improve wages, enhance working conditions, and expand social protections.
“ECG is not going to be privatised, nobody will lose jobs because of private sector participation,” he said. “ECG will sell electricity to the private sector, who will handle billing and metering. ECG will get its revenue and pay employees—this is not privatisation.”
The President highlighted the financial strain in the energy sector, noting that US$1.57 billion was spent on settling legacy debts in 2025, with a cumulative US$8 billion used over the past nine years to address systemic challenges.
He described the reform as a collaborative effort with labour, aimed at establishing a more stable and sustainable public sector compensation system. “This reform is not designed against labour; it is designed with labour and for the long-term stability of Ghana’s public sector,” he said.
President Mahama also underscored challenges in the pension sector, revealing that assets stand at roughly GH¢100 billion—about seven per cent of GDP—and that fewer than two million workers contribute regularly out of 10 million eligible. He urged reforms to expand coverage, modernise contribution systems, and strengthen governance to ensure retirees maintain dignity and financial security.
“Together, we can build a transparent remuneration system, a pension system that guarantees dignity in retirement, and an economy that rewards hard work fairly,” he added.
This initiative forms part of broader efforts by the Government to modernise the energy sector while safeguarding worker welfare and sustaining Ghana’s public sector financial stability.
