IMF is not Father Christmas; Ghana must take charge – PUWU

The Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU) has called for greater government involvement in addressing Ghana's energy sector issues, rather than solely relying on guidance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. Enoch Paul Hayes, Deputy General Secretary of PUWU, argued that local stakeholders' identified reforms should take precedence over external recommendations.

During an appearance on Joy FM’s PM Express, Mr Hayes questioned why the pricing of power from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) was not receiving more attention in discussions about the energy crisis. He pointed out that generation costs and operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) are significant concerns that warrant greater scrutiny.

Hayes cautioned against blindly accepting external prescriptions without considering Ghana's own experiences and the outcomes of similar interventions in other African nations, such as Nigeria and Uganda. He highlighted Ghana's past successes, such as the turnaround of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), to illustrate the country's capacity to tackle complex problems independently.

Hayes strongly criticized the notion that IMF support is akin to receiving something for free, emphasizing that the organization's involvement comes with specific expectations and goals. He urged the government to give more weight to proposals from organized labor and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) on resolving the energy sector's challenges, noting that workers have already presented critical measures to the government.

Hayes also expressed skepticism about the World Bank's assessment of ECG's revenue performance, pointing out that the institution had previously acknowledged positive trends.