Accra, Ghana – Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has sharply criticised the Mahama-led administration for introducing a new fuel levy, accusing the government of backtracking on its own fiscal commitments.
During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, June 3, Afenyo-Markin challenged the administration’s consistency, highlighting what he sees as a contradiction in the 2025 budget.
“You presented a budget stating no new taxes or levies would be introduced. Yet, you announce the repeal of the e-levy and reintroduce it through a new mechanism. This is inconsistent,” he argued.
His comments came after Parliament passed the Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2025, under a certificate of urgency. The bill imposes a GH¢1 levy on every litre of petroleum products, expected to generate approximately GH¢5.7 billion annually. The funds are earmarked to help reduce the energy sector’s debt and support fuel procurement for power generation.
Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, former Finance Minister and Member of Parliament for Karaga, also voiced concerns about the new levy. “They were recently celebrating the abolition of taxes, yet the total value of those removed doesn’t amount to GH¢5 billion,” he noted.
Current Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson defended the decision, citing the sector's significant financial strain. He stated that the energy sector is burdened with US$3.1 billion in debt, and approximately US$3.7 billion is required to address the shortfall, in addition to US$1.2 billion needed for fuel procurement in 2025.
Dr. Forson assured Parliament that the impact on fuel prices would be mitigated by a stronger Ghanaian cedi.
Nevertheless, Afenyo-Markin remained firm in his position, stressing that the new levy contradicts the government's public commitments and places an undue financial burden on citizens.
Source: The Ghana Report
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