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Dr. Steve Manteaw, Co-chair of the Ghana Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (GHEITI), has highlighted a significant increase in the revenue of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), attributing the turnaround to private sector involvement and the implementation of digital infrastructure.
In an interview on Joy News’ PM Express on October 21, Dr. Manteaw explained that private sector participation, alongside digitalisation, has played a crucial role in transforming revenue collection for the energy sector. “Revenue collection has always been a challenge in power distribution, but recent private sector interventions have significantly boosted revenue mobilisation,” he noted.
Dr. Manteaw pointed to ECG’s previous collaborations with private companies like PDS, which piloted successful projects in areas such as Techiman and Dansoman. These efforts, he said, laid the groundwork for the current surge in revenue. “Whenever we’ve introduced private sector participation, particularly in last-mile revenue assurance, we’ve seen significant improvements. What we’re witnessing now is the result of sustained efforts, enhanced by digital infrastructure,” he added.
The digitalisation initiatives launched over the past year have been instrumental in this revenue growth, with ECG’s monthly collections rising from ¢700 million to ¢1.3 billion, a jump of ¢600 million. Dr. Manteaw emphasized that even after accounting for operational costs, the gains justify the involvement of the private sector. “Even if you factor in 10% for operational costs, the additional ¢60 million still validates the partnership with private entities,” he explained.
Despite his general opposition to privatisation, Dr. Manteaw expressed optimism about the local ownership of ECG’s progress. “I’m against privatisation, but when a Ghanaian entity is leading the charge, I’m excited. The profits stay within the country, benefiting our economy,” he said.
