Mahama: ECG is Not Being Privatized; No Jobs Will Be Lost | Discuss Ghana

During a high-level dialogue with Organized Labour at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama dismissed rumors regarding the privatization of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

Addressing concerns from union leaders and workers, the President clarified that the government's restructuring plan is focused on improving revenue collection through private sector participation in billing and metering, not an outright sale of the utility.

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The Restructuring Model

President Mahama detailed the specific "institutional architecture" intended to fix ECG's long-standing financial challenges:

Asset Ownership: The President emphasized that the state will retain full ownership of ECG's infrastructure. "ECG is not going to be privatized; nobody will lose jobs because of private sector participation," he stated firmly.

Billing & Metering: Under the new model, ECG will act as a bulk supplier, selling electricity to private entities. These private partners will then be solely responsible for metering and billing customers.

Financial Logic: This shift aims to eliminate the massive collection losses that have plagued the sector. ECG will receive guaranteed payments from these private operators, ensuring the utility has the funds to pay its employees and maintain the grid.

Legacy Debt: The President revealed that the government spent US$1.57 billion in 2025 alone to settle legacy debts in the energy sector, bringing the total injected over the last nine years to approximately US$8 billion.

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Pension Reform and Worker Dignity

The meeting with Organized Labour also served as a platform for the President to address Ghana’s wider pension crisis:

Low Coverage: President Mahama revealed that out of 10 million workers in Ghana, fewer than 2 million are regularly contributing to pensions.

Pension Assets: Current pension assets stand at roughly GH¢100 billion (7% of GDP), which the President noted is significantly below continental benchmarks.

Reform Mandate: The Ministry of Finance has been tasked to modernize contribution systems and expand coverage to the informal sector to ensure that "every Ghanaian worker can retire with dignity".

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Context: The "Resetting Ghana Tour"

The dialogue with labor leaders was the final major engagement before President Mahama embarked on his nationwide "Resetting Ghana Tour":

Bono Region Kick-off: The tour officially began on Wednesday, March 18, in the Bono Region, where the President is currently inspecting ongoing government projects.

Labor Stability: The meeting followed the suspension of the CLOGSAG strike on March 17, after the government appealed for a two-week window to finalize new salary structures and conditions of service.

"This reform is not designed against labour; it is designed with labour for the long-term stability of Ghana's public sector." — President John Dramani Mahama.