The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) has firmly reiterated its opposition to any plans by the government to privatise the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), warning that such a move would be fiercely resisted by the labour movement and its affiliates.
In its review of the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, the TUC reminded government of its long-standing position against the privatisation of strategic national assets. This stance, first expressed in 2017 under the Akufo-Addo administration, has been carried forward into its latest submission to the Mahama-led government.
“We are consistent in our belief that privatisation or any form of private sector participation in ECG is not the solution. The real reform needed is to depoliticise ECG and introduce structural changes that ensure efficiency and accountability,” the TUC stated.
Citing resolutions passed at its 10th Quadrennial Delegates Congress in 2016, the union stressed that their opposition to ECG privatisation remains “non-negotiable,” and warned that attempts to proceed with such plans would be met with nationwide resistance.
Beyond ECG, the TUC used the opportunity to critique the broader economic direction outlined in the 2025 budget. It noted that the economy remains burdened by high inflation, a rising cost of living, growing unemployment—especially among youth—and a debt stock that remains unsustainable despite debt restructuring efforts.
“More than three years since COVID-19, we still face sluggish economic growth and declining real incomes. The macroeconomic framework we’ve followed for decades has failed Ghana,” the union emphasized.
The TUC called for a total overhaul of the country’s economic model—one that focuses on employment creation, adds value to natural resources, reduces reliance on external borrowing, and increases domestic revenue generation.
According to the TUC, the 2025 budget presented a chance to reset Ghana’s economic course but fell short. It is now urging government to engage all stakeholders to develop a new model that prioritizes national development and worker welfare.
“Ghana needs a qualitative transformation of its economy, not another round of recycled policies that keep us dependent and unequal,” the union declared.
