Tension is rising among more than 8,000 workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) following government’s reported plans to appoint a transaction advisor to oversee the collection of electricity bills.
The workers, who belong to the Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU), say they will strongly resist the move, warning it could threaten their jobs and reverse recent gains made in revenue mobilisation and loss reduction at the power distributor.
Speaking in an interview with our Labour Affairs Correspondent, Daniel Opoku, in Accra, PUWU General Secretary Timothy Nyame expressed surprise and concern over the development.
According to him, earlier government’s decision to reduce interference in ECG’s operations had yielded positive results, empowering management and workers to improve efficiency.
“As a result of the autonomy given to ECG, losses have reduced from 27 percent to 24 percent, while revenue has increased from GH¢1.4 billion to GH¢1.75 billion,” Mr Nyame noted.
However, he said the union was taken aback by reports that government is now considering appointing a transaction advisor to take charge of revenue collection.
“Just last week we heard that government is going to appoint a transaction advisor,” he said. “When we started this operation, why do you need a transaction advisor? What exactly is he coming to do?”
Mr Nyame argued that ECG’s recent performance shows the company is capable of managing its own affairs without external control.
“We have improved the company. Rather than allowing a transaction advisor, now ECG is able to pay Independent Power Producers every month, so why do you need a transaction advisor?” he questioned. “All that we need from management is to tighten measures and controls to protect the gains we have made. We will see what the future holds.”
He warned that the proposed appointment could disrupt the current industrial peace at ECG and provoke resistance from workers.
“We want to state clearly that workers of ECG will resist any attempt by any individual or group of individuals to come and annex any part of ECG for their own benefit under the name of private sector participation,” Mr Nyame cautioned.
PUWU is therefore calling on government to reconsider the move in the interest of industrial harmony and the sustainability of recent reforms at the Electricity Company of Ghana.
