As the new government walks the path of privatizing the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) is pushing for transparency and fairness in the entire process.
This call from the energy sector think tank comes on the heels of the formation of a Technical Committee by the Minister for Energy to draft the privatization framework for consideration. Energy Minister, John Jinapor says their mandate is to find the best privatization options for the government.
Given the operational inefficiencies of ECG, ACEP has earlier advocated for private sector participation in the company and therefore finds the agenda of the new government welcoming. ACEP says the minister’s approach to setting up a technical committee is also a step in the right direction.
However, in an interview with The Ghana Times, Policy Lead for Petroleum and Conventional Energy at ACEP, Kodzo Yaotse says the process must be done with a clear focus on ensuring the best ideas and partners emerge, free from any interference and backdoor dealings.
He further adds that any decision taken and proposed to the ministry must be adequately justifiable with the interest of the company taking center stage.
“The most important thing here now is that there is transparency in the process to ensure that the best ideas emerge victorious. Whatever decision is made, the justification has to be made transparently,” the energy policy analyst maintained.
He added, “we also ask for more transparency and make it a competitive process so that the best companies or whatever entity would come and be the private sector partner will be one that is a genuine entity with genuine private capital to invest.”
The ECG, tasked with distributing electricity to millions of households and businesses, has faced perennial challenges, including high technical and commercial losses, debt accumulation, and inefficiencies in service delivery.
Reforming the company is considered critical to the country’s energy security and economic growth. However, privatization efforts often draw skepticism, with many fearing that such moves could lead to higher consumer tariffs or unfavorable arrangements prioritizing private profits over public interest.
ACEP believes that by placing transparency and competition at the forefront, these fears can be mitigated.
Last Updated on May 12, 2025 by samboad
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