The audit that did not appear: ECG's unpublished collection accounts, a nationwide disconnection drive, and what the public still cannot see
In the same week the IMF publicly flagged Ghana's delayed audit of the Electricity Company of Ghana's collection accounts, ECG began a nationwide "Mass Revenue Mobilisation" exercise, from November 9 to 27, in which unpaid households, businesses and state bodies can be cut off. Energy-sector finances are among the domestic risks the Fund has listed ahead of the 2027 Budget, which is due on Thursday, November 12, at 6pm, Speaker Alban Bagbin told Parliament on November 10. This report sets the official claims against what remains unpublished: how much is owed, by whom, why the audit is late, and whether state institutions are being treated like other debtors.
Key figures and documents
| Item | What the record shows | Status |
|---|---|---|
| IMF staff-level agreement on the first PCI review | Announced November 5, 2026, after a mission in Accra from October 22 to November 4. Still subject to IMF Management and Executive Board approval. [1][2] | Official, incomplete until the Board decides |
| Delayed ECG collection-accounts audit | The IMF, as quoted by MyJoyOnline and 3News, called for "the delayed publication of the audit of the ECG's collection accounts." The Fund gave no reason and no new deadline. [1][2] | Official IMF description, as reported; audit still unpublished in the coverage we opened |
| End-September 2026 publication target | 3News, citing the staff report for the July 27 Board decision, published by the IMF in August 2026, says a reform target asked PURC to publish quarterly audit reports of ECG's revenue and collection account, starting at the end of September 2026. That date had passed by November 5. [2] | As reported by 3News; GhEcho has not opened the staff report |
| Mass Revenue Mobilisation exercise | ECG notice, issued Saturday, November 7: Monday, November 9, to Friday, November 27, 2026. Covers residential, commercial and industrial customers and Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with arrears. Disconnection and reconnection fees are warned. [3][4][5][6] | Official company notice, as reported |
| Unpaid-bill totals | Not published in the stories we opened. According to 3News, the 2025 accounts put unpaid customer bills "among the largest sums owed to ECG," with private customers the biggest share and MDAs also owing, but 3News gives no cedi figure. GhEcho has not opened those accounts. [5] | Incomplete public record |
| Disconnections and collections since November 9 | No official tally found in Citi Newsroom, Graphic Online, MyJoyOnline, 3News or GNA as of November 10, 2026. | Not yet reported in those outlets |
| 2027 Budget | Due on Thursday, November 12, at 6pm, Speaker Alban Bagbin told Parliament on November 10. The IMF mission, in Press Release No. 26/353, said the budget "is built on strong foundations" and "targets a primary surplus of 0.5 percent of GDP on a commitment basis." [8][9][2][10] | Budget time as announced by the Speaker; surplus target checked against the PR text |
Documents and notices named in the coverage, but not all opened by GhEcho:
- ECG's November 7 "Mass Revenue Mobilization" public notice (described by Citi, Graphic, MyJoyOnline and 3News; 3News says General Manager for External Communications Dr Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku issued it).
- IMF Press Release No. 26/353 (November 5), read in full as republished by News from Non Aligned World and PANA; imf.org itself returned an access error.
- The staff report for the July 27 Board decision, published by the IMF in August 2026 (listed as 4 August). 3News cites it for the end-September audit target. GhEcho has not opened the report (imf.org returned 403 or timed out).
- ECG's 2025 accounts, referred to by 3News without reprinting the unpaid-bill totals.
What we know
- An IMF staff mission led by Ruben Atoyan visited Accra from October 22 to November 4, 2026, and on November 5 announced a staff-level agreement with the government on the first review of Ghana's 36-month, non-financing Policy Coordination Instrument. That agreement still requires approval from IMF Management and the Executive Board. [1][2]
- In the same announcement, the Fund flagged Ghana's delayed publication of an audit of ECG's collection accounts. Mission chief Atoyan said: "Completing the remaining reforms on time, including the delayed publication of the audit of the ECG's collection accounts, will be important." That wording is in Press Release No. 26/353 and was also reported by MyJoyOnline and 3News. The statement did not explain the delay or give a new publication deadline. [10][11][1][2]
- 3News, citing the staff report for the July 27 Board decision, published by the IMF in August 2026, reports that one reform target asked PURC to publish quarterly audit reports of ECG's revenue and collection account, starting at the end of September 2026, and that this date had passed. GhEcho has not opened that staff report. This remains as reported by 3News. [2]
- The Fund, in the same November statement, said: "Domestic risks include significant domestic debt rollover needs, fiscal pressures from the energy, cocoa, and gold sectors, and remaining financial sector weaknesses." It also said structural reforms remained on track in other areas, including continued quarterly electricity tariff adjustments. [1][2]
- On Saturday, November 7, ECG announced a nationwide Mass Revenue Mobilisation Exercise from Monday, November 9, to Friday, November 27, covering residential, commercial and industrial customers and MDAs with unpaid bills. Customers with arrears were told to pay or face disconnection and reconnection fees. Special teams would, the company said, apprehend and prosecute people who connect electricity illegally, interfere with the exercise, or reconnect themselves after being cut off. [3][4][5][6]
- As of November 10, the second day of the drive, we found no official public tally, in the allowed news outlets we checked, of how many supplies had been cut or how much had been collected, and no PURC or government statement publishing the delayed audit.
- The 2027 Budget is due on Thursday, November 12, at 6pm, Speaker Alban Bagbin told Parliament on November 10. Press Release No. 26/353 said that budget "is built on strong foundations" and "targets a primary surplus of 0.5 percent of GDP on a commitment basis." [8][9][10]
Timeline
Official Claim / commentary Reporting / upcoming
- July 2026Official, as reported
PCI approved; an audit-publication target is set
On July 27, 2026, the IMF Executive Board concluded the sixth review of Ghana's ECF and considered its request for a 36-month non-financing PCI (IMF Press Release No. 26/260; MyJoyOnline describes it as the ECF's final review). 3News, citing the staff report for that decision, published by the IMF in August 2026, says a reform target asked PURC to publish quarterly audit reports of ECG's revenue and collection account from the end of September 2026. That PURC deadline remains as reported by 3News. [1][2]
- July 2026Claim / commentary
Collection shortfalls flagged in mid-year budget coverage
3News, looking back from November, says Benjamin Nsiah, executive director of CEMSE, told 3Business in July that the mid-year budget showed ECG still missing a large part of the money it should take from users. 3News does not repeat a figure. This is 3News's paraphrase of an earlier interview; we have not re-opened that interview. [5]
- End of September 2026Official target, now passed, as reported.
Official target, now passed, as reported
If 3News's reading of the staff report is correct, the first quarterly publication of the ECG collection-accounts audit was due by this date. By November 5, the IMF was still describing the audit as unpublished. [2]
- Late October 2026Official
ECG launches a field billing and franchising project
Graphic Online, in a November 2 report, said ECG had launched a "Spot Billing and Franchising Project" in Koforidua, themed "Safeguarding Revenue, Powering Ghana," intended to improve billing accuracy, strengthen collection and address illegal connections. Graphic dates the ceremony as "last Thursday" (which, if the November 2 dateline is right, would be October 29; Graphic does not print the calendar date). Deputy Commercial Manager Ebenezer Baiden said 1,500 franchise contractors had been trained, Graphic reported. [7]
- October 22–November 4, 2026
- November 5, 2026Official
Staff-level agreement; delayed ECG audit is named
The IMF announced a staff-level agreement, still subject to Management and Board approval, and flagged the unpublished audit of ECG's collection accounts. It also pointed to energy-sector budget pressures among domestic risks. 3News says no public reply from the Ministry of Finance or the Bank of Ghana to that day's statement had appeared by the time it wrote. [1][2]
- November 7, 2026Official
ECG announces the November 9–27 drive
In a notice issued on Saturday, ECG said a Mass Revenue Mobilisation Exercise would run from Monday, November 9, to Friday, November 27, and would include MDAs as well as private customers. Dr Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku announced the exercise on the company's behalf, Graphic and MyJoyOnline report. [3][4][5][6]
- November 9, 2026Official
The collection and disconnection window opens
According to the same ECG notice, field teams could begin cutting off customers who still owed. We have not seen an official first-day tally.
- November 10, 2026Reporting
No public tally, and no published audit, in the outlets checked
A search of Citi Newsroom, Graphic Online, MyJoyOnline, 3News and GNA found no new ECG or PURC statement giving disconnection or collection figures, and no publication of the collection-accounts audit.
- November 12, 2026Upcoming
2027 Budget
The 2027 Budget is due on Thursday, November 12, at 6pm, Speaker Alban Bagbin told Parliament on November 10. Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson is to present it. The IMF has already described fiscal pressures from the energy, cocoa and gold sectors as a domestic risk. [8][9][10]
Who said what
"Completing the remaining reforms on time, including the delayed publication of the audit of the ECG's collection accounts, will be important." [10][11][1][2]
"The 2027 Budget is built on strong foundations." The statement, consistent with the PCI, "targets a primary surplus of 0.5 percent of GDP on a commitment basis." And: "Rigorous project appraisal, competitive procurement, and strict expenditure controls will be critical to ensure value for money and preserve debt sustainability." In the governance paragraph, not the unfinished-reforms list, it says: "Adoption of the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, publication of the second National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Action Plan, and improved oversight of state-owned enterprises will help build public trust and support private investment." [10][11][2]
"Customers with arrears are advised to pay their bills now to avoid disconnection, and payment of reconnection fees." [3]
Both outlets, without placing the following in quotation marks, report that he said the exercise is aimed at improving revenue collection and strengthening the company's financial position; that prompt payment supports operational efficiency and the delivery of electricity services; that special teams will monitor the exercise and will apprehend and prosecute customers who have connected electricity illegally, attempt to interfere, or reconnect themselves illegally after disconnection; that customers who cannot access their bills should visit the nearest ECG office; and that customers should use regular payment channels, particularly the ECG Mobile App, or call 0302 611611. These are paraphrases, not word-for-word quotations, in the articles we opened. [4][6] 3News, also paraphrasing, says he issued the announcement and that the drive is meant to bring in more of what is owed and steady the company's finances, and that paying on time supports supply. [5]
"We are changing the way ECG manages its relationship with customers in the field. For many years, our contract meter readers had a fairly simple responsibility: visit the customer and read the meter. Under the franchise initiative, that role has been expanded significantly." And: "The franchise contractor is now expected not only to read meters, but also to support bill delivery, monitor prepayment meters, identify and report faulty meters and illegal connections, support authorised disconnections and reconnections, validate customer information, and generally serve as an important link between ECG and the customer." [7]
"When electricity is consumed but not properly measured, billed or paid for, the resulting revenue shortfalls affect the entire electricity value chain." Graphic attributes this line to Mr Jinapor. [7]
He said 1,500 franchise contractors had been given specialised training to read meters, print and deliver bills, check illegal connections and manage customer debt and payment. Graphic does not place that figure in quotation marks. [7]
3News says he told 3Business that the mid-year budget showed ECG still missing a large part of the money it should take from users. No figure is given in the November article. [5]
Unanswered questions
- Why has the audit of ECG's collection accounts not been published, and when will it be? The IMF, as reported on November 5, gave no reason and no new date.
- If the July staff report, as 3News reads it, asked PURC to publish quarterly audits from the end of September 2026, has PURC prepared those reports, and who is holding them back — PURC, ECG, or another authority?
- What are the actual unpaid-bill totals, broken down by private customers and by ministries, departments and agencies? Those figures were not in the stories we opened.
- Since November 9, how many supplies have been cut, how much has been collected, and are state bodies being disconnected on the same terms as households and firms? As of November 10, no official tally had appeared in the outlets we checked.
- What did earlier collection drives achieve, and has weak collection been reduced in a measurable way?
- Will the unpublished audit, or any official debt breakdown, appear before or with the 2027 Budget, which is due on Thursday, November 12, at 6pm?