The Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) has clarified its position on the proposed privatisation of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), following growing calls for such a move.
Initially, PUWU expressed strong opposition to any plans to privatise ECG. However, Timothy Nyame, the General Secretary of PUWU, explained that while the union is not completely against privatisation, it has concerns about the proposed approach.
“We are not totally against the privatisation of ECG, but the mode or the tangent they want to go is what we have a problem with,” Nyame stated in an interview on Channel One TV’s Point of View on Wednesday.
He emphasised that as time progresses, PUWU will be able to clearly articulate its stance on the privatisation process.
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 He suggested that outdated equipment might be a significant factor hindering the organisation’s performance.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.
