The Minority in Parliament has mounted fierce opposition to the newly imposed GHS1 fuel levy, demanding its immediate withdrawal and calling for broader consultations with affected stakeholders.
At a press conference in Parliament on Monday, June 9, Minority lawmakers rejected the government’s approach, describing it as dismissive of public sentiment and out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Ghanaians.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, MP for Ofoase Ayirebi, emphasized that government should not wield its parliamentary majority as a license to ignore voices like the transport unions, who will bear the brunt of the new levy.
The protest by the Minority came shortly after President John Dramani Mahama signed the controversial Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Act, 2025, into law.
The Act introduces a GHS1 tax on every litre of fuel, projected to generate GHS5.7 billion annually. President Mahama defended the policy as a “difficult but necessary” measure to tackle over US$3 billion in legacy energy sector debts and to safeguard the country’s power supply.
He assured Ghanaians that the funds will be ring-fenced, transparently managed, and used solely to finance fuel procurement, debt servicing, and prevent another power crisis.
However, critics within the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have seized the opportunity to highlight what they see as inconsistencies in the government’s messaging.
Former Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei-Asare questioned the rationale behind the levy, citing the NDC’s past promises to reduce the tax burden on Ghanaians.
In a media interview, she accused the Mahama administration of policy betrayal and argued that economic management goes beyond rhetoric. As tensions rise, the fuel levy risks becoming a major political flashpoint in the lead-up to the next election cycle.
