ECG blows GH¢189m beyond budget without approval – PAC fumes at financial indiscipline

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has come under intense scrutiny after revelations of massive budget overruns at Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The utility company’s Chief Executive and his team were grilled over unapproved spending amounting to GH¢189.2 million.

Citing details from the 2024 Auditor-General’s Report, Ranking Member Samuel Atta Mills delivered a blistering critique of the company’s financial conduct, accusing ECG management of blatant fiscal indiscipline and disregard for due process.

“On staff fuel, ECG budgeted GH¢2.8 million but spent GH¢3.6 million,” the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) MP noted, quizzing sarcastically, “did they drive around the world?”

The trend continued across multiple expenditure lines:

• Communication expenses: budgeted at GH¢4.2 million, spent GH¢7.9 million.
• Consultancy: budgeted at GH¢40 million, spent ₵58.6 million.
• Industrial relations: budgeted at ₵2 million, spent ₵13 million.
• Stakeholder expenses: budgeted at ₵3.1 million, spent ₵49 million.
• Publicity: budgeted at ₵5.7 million, spent ₵21.8 million.
• Professional fees and subscriptions: budgeted at ₵731,000, spent ₵1.5 million.
• Overseas travel: budgeted at ₵14 million, spent ₵29.8 million.
• Call centre operations: budgeted at ₵23.5 million, spent ₵29.3 million.

In total, ECG’s approved budget was GH¢144 million, but its actual expenditure ballooned to GH¢333 million, nearly double the allocation.

Mr Atta Mills condemned the spending spree as “financial indiscipline”, urging that sanctions under Section 96 of the Public Financial Management Act (Act 921) be applied against the officers responsible.

“This level of recklessness cannot go unpunished,” he declared. “Those managers who were involved should face the Attorney-General for prosecution — it’s that simple.”

The PAC session has intensified calls for accountability within ECG, especially as the utility company continues to push for tariff increases amid public frustration over high electricity bills and operational inefficiencies.

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