The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) on Thursday called for the immediate suspension of a new petroleum tax collection provision, warning it could raise pump prices, disrupt fuel supplies and slow government revenue collection.
In a statement signed by its chief executive, Dr. Riverson Oppong, the chamber said Section 136 of the Customs Act, 2026 (Act 1179) had been enacted without industry consultation or a published assessment of its impact.
The provision transfers responsibility for accounting for downstream petroleum taxes from oil and liquefied petroleum gas marketing companies to Bulk Import, Distribution and Export Companies (BIDECs), according to COMAC.
It requires BIDECs to account for taxes at the point of sale, with the Commissioner-General permitted to defer payment for up to 21 days against a bank guarantee, the chamber said.
COMAC argued that the change would require bulk suppliers to finance taxes before receiving payment from marketers, potentially passing borrowing and guarantee costs on to consumers.
“COMAC considers Section 136 to be a transfer of risk, not reform,” the statement said.
The chamber urged the Ministry of Finance to announce a suspension within 14 days. It said it would otherwise convene an emergency general meeting to agree on further action through administrative, regulatory and legal channels.
COMAC said the accumulation of tax arrears reflected weaknesses in enforcing existing controls rather than a flaw in the collection model.
It alleged that overrides in the Integrated Customs Management System, known as ICUMS, had allowed operators to exceed approved credit limits. It called for restrictions on such interventions and a full audit trail.
The chamber also warned that concentrating tax obligations at the bulk-supply level could magnify the impact of enforcement action. While the existing system could deactivate an individual defaulting marketer, action against one BIDEC could affect supplies to several marketers and retail outlets, it said.
COMAC said marketers currently remit taxes within 21 days, while bulk suppliers had indicated during discussions that they might require at least 45 days.
It also raised concerns about what it described as conflicting tax payment triggers under Sections 126(6) and 136 of the Act.
The chamber called for the existing framework to be retained, with BIDECs paying import duties and port charges at importation and marketing companies continuing to account for taxes and levies ex-pump.
It separately sought a response to its analysis of 2025 industry data, which it said identified about 819.25 million litres of unaccounted petroleum products with an estimated revenue implication of GH¢2.5 billion.
COMAC said requests for information on 10 diesel tankers impounded in October 2025 and clarification of non-bonded status granted to three operators also remained unanswered.
The chamber said it remained willing to work with the government to strengthen compliance and revenue collection under the existing system.
The Ghana Revenue Authority and the Finance Ministry are yet to respond to the issue.
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