The Socialist Movement of Ghana (SMG) has declared its opposition to any form of privatisation or private sector participation in the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), throwing its full support behind organised labour’s resistance against the move.
In a statement issued by its Accra Collective on May 26, 2026 signed by the Convener of the movement, Blaise Tulo, the movement said it “unreservedly supports” the position of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) against what it described as attempts to hand over ECG operations to private capital.
According to the SMG, Ghana’s transition from the International Monetary Fund’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme into a Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) arrangement still subjects the country to structural policy conditions, including private sector participation in ECG.
The group argued that although the government insists the arrangement is not a “wholesale privatisation” but rather “private participation,” the outcome would ultimately mirror previous failed concession arrangements.
Citing the 2019 Power Distribution Services (PDS) concession under the Akufo-Addo administration, the SMG said similar justifications were used at the time before the deal collapsed over issues relating to invalid insurance documentation.
“What they called ‘private sector management’ in 2019 is now called ‘private participation’ in 2026. The branding changes, however the consequences do not,” the statement said.
The movement further argued that private participation in ECG would lead to tariff increases, job losses, casualisation of workers and worsening services in low-income communities.
“Whether private capital takes ownership or takes management, the outcomes for the working class are structurally identical,” the statement noted.
The SMG also cited examples from other African countries including Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania, where it claimed electricity privatisation and private management models had failed to improve service delivery.
According to the group, “the logic of capital” prioritises investor returns over public service delivery.
As part of its demands, the movement called for the immediate abandonment of all plans to transfer ECG’s operational control, management authority or revenue streams to private entities.
It also demanded full public disclosure of all IMF structural benchmarks relating to ECG under both the ECF and PCI arrangements, including timelines and compliance conditions.
The SMG further called for a parliamentary review into the failed 2019 PDS concession and proposed legislation requiring parliamentary approval and public consultation before any future utility concession agreements are undertaken.
The group additionally urged government to reject any structural benchmark requiring the “marketisation” of public utilities and guarantee job security and improved wages for ECG workers.
“ECG was built by the taxes and labour of the Ghanaian people. It belongs to the people,” the statement stressed.
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