Pressure is mounting on the government to scrap the GHS1 fuel levy, as the Minority in Parliament calls for its immediate abolition, arguing that the charge is deepening the financial strain on Ghanaians already struggling under the weight of soaring living costs.
The demand was made by Collins Adomako-Mensah, Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Energy Committee, who voiced the Minority’s concerns to journalists on the sidelines of parliamentary proceedings.
His remarks came at a particularly sensitive moment, fuel prices had just risen again, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, compounded by disruptions stemming from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. For many Ghanaians, the timing could not have been worse.
Adomako-Mensah acknowledged that the levy was not introduced without purpose. Enshrined in the Energy Sector Levy Amendment Act 2025, it was designed to support fuel procurement and help the country chip away at longstanding debts in the energy sector. But he was unequivocal: the economic realities of today make its continued existence unjustifiable.
Beyond the immediate call to scrap the levy, the Minority is setting its sights on a broader fight. Adomako-Mensah revealed plans to push for a sweeping review of all taxes embedded in petroleum pricing, a move aimed at identifying and eliminating charges that unnecessarily inflate costs at the pump for ordinary consumers.
The Minority’s stance is poised to sharpen an already heated debate in Parliament over fuel taxation, as the government finds itself caught between the need to protect revenue streams and mounting public frustration over the relentless rise in the cost of living.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com