Ghana: Gov’t Will Not Proceed With PURC–Energy Commission Merger Without Stakeholder Engagement – Energy Minister

Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, says the government will not proceed with the proposed merger of the Energy Commission and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) without broad consensus and proper engagement with all stakeholders.

Dr. Jinapor made the remark after meeting representatives of the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) on Monday, following concerns raised by PURC staff over the proposed merger of the two institutions.

The Minister noted that although ongoing reforms in the power sector aim to improve efficiency and strengthen regulatory oversight, such changes will not be implemented without dialogue, transparency, and mutual understanding.

“We will continue to engage organised labour, including the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU), and other stakeholders as discussions on the proposed merger progress, with consensus-building as our guiding principle,” the Minister said in a Facebook post.

It would be recalled that staff of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), under the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU), last week hoisted red flags at the Commission’s offices across the country in protest against the proposed merger.

At the Commission’s head office in Accra, a large red cloth was mounted at the front desk, signalling discontent. Similarly, at the PURC’s office annex at GNAT Heights, red cloths were tied to the doors to greet visitors.

The protest follows a bill reportedly submitted to Parliament seeking approval to merge the two regulatory bodies into a single entity.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) is mandated to regulate and oversee the provision of utility services in Ghana, particularly electricity and water—focusing on tariff setting, consumer protection, and ensuring value for money.

The Energy Commission, on the other hand, is responsible for the technical regulation, management, and development of Ghana’s energy sector, including electricity and natural gas, as well as licensing and energy planning.

The government argues that maintaining two separate regulators for the same sector creates overlaps, delays, and duplication.

It believes that a unified regulator would simplify decision-making, reduce bureaucracy, and lower administrative costs by eliminating redundancies in management, support services, office operations, and logistics.