PAC orders prosecution of ECG officials over GHC180 million unauthorized spending

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has directed that officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) responsible for unauthorized spending exceeding GH¢180 million in 2023 be referred to the Attorney General for prosecution.

The directive follows findings in the Auditor-General’s 2023 report, which revealed that ECG overspent on at least 13 budget items without approval from its governing board — a breach of corporate governance and financial management protocols.

During Tuesday’s sitting, October 28, PAC Ranking Member Samuel Atta-Mills condemned the expenditure pattern, describing it as “a clear case of financial indiscipline.”

According to the report, ECG budgeted:

GH¢2.8 million for staff fuel, but spent GH¢3.6 million;

GH¢4.2 million for communication, but spent GH¢7.9 million;

GH¢40 million for consultancy, but spent GH¢58.6 million; and

GH¢3.1 million for stakeholder engagement, but spent an alarming GH¢49 million.

Mr. Atta-Mills questioned the rationale for the expenditure overruns, saying, “Staff fuel — did they drive around the world? Consultancy and stakeholder engagement alone jumped by tens of millions. Yet ECG continues to seek tariff increases.”

He called for swift prosecution of the officials involved to deter future breaches and safeguard public funds.

PAC Chair, Abena Osei Asare, also admonished ECG to strengthen internal controls and ensure board approval precedes all expenditure.

“This Committee will not tolerate persistent disregard for financial discipline. The Auditor-General’s recommendations must be implemented, and accountability enforced,” she stated.

The Committee’s directive marks one of the strongest accountability measures yet in the 2023 public financial oversight hearings, signalling Parliament’s renewed resolve to clamp down on fiscal mismanagement in state-owned enterprises.