The Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) has addressed concerns regarding the proposed privatization of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), amidst increasing advocacy for the move.
While PUWU initially voiced strong opposition to the idea, its General Secretary, Timothy Nyame, clarified that the union’s primary issue lies with the proposed approach, not privatization itself.
“We are not totally against the privatization of ECG, but the mode or the tangent they want to go is what we have a problem with,” Nyame said during an interview on Channel One TV’s Point of View on Wednesday.
He added that PUWU intends to refine and present a more detailed stance on the privatization process as discussions progress.
Nyame highlighted that inefficiencies within ECG should be carefully examined to determine their root causes, whether they stem from human resources or management issues. He suggested that outdated equipment might be a significant factor hindering the organisation’s performance.
“When you are talking of inefficiency, is it the human being or management that is inefficient? So you can quickly identify that it is the obsolete equipment that may be something that is hindering the organization,” he explained.
Nyame called for a collective effort to find a solution to the problems facing ECG, rather than immediately pushing for privatisation and transparent tendering.
He stressed that while PUWU does not oppose private sector participation, it is crucial to take pragmatic steps to ensure the privatisation process is carried out properly.
“So PUWU, as much as we are not against private sector participation, we should take pragmatic steps to make sure we go through proper means of doing the privatisation,” Nyame concluded.
