Ghana: Opposition NDC Blasts Gov’t Over Rising Fuel Prices; Wants It To Reduce Taxes On Fuel

Ghana’s largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused President Akufo-Addo-led administration of being insensitive to the masses who are suffering because of the rising cost of petroleum products in the West African nation.

According to the party, the increases in fuel prices almost every two weeks has brought untold hardship in the country and, therefore, demands that the government does something to alleviate the suffering of Ghanaians.

Ghanaians currently buy a litre of both petrol and diesel at GHS6.88 from the previous GHS6.52 per litre.

A kilo of LPG now sells at GHS7.86.

Addressing a section of journalists in Accra, capital of Ghana, Monday, October 18, 2021, the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi demanded an immediate reduction in fuel prices in the country.

He said the government can do this by scrapping some of the taxes slapped on petroleum products.

He explained that though the Special Petroleum Tax (SPT) of 46 pesewas on a litre of diesel and petrol was introduced by the erstwhile NDC/Mahama administration sometime in 2016 to shore up the government’s revenue for development purposes, this government has introduced new taxes on fuel products such as the Energy Sector Levies of 20 pesewas on a litre of diesel and petrol and the new sanitation levy of 10 pesewas on a litre of diesel and petrol.

He further demanded that the 18 pesewas on a kilogram of LPG must be scrapped.

“We wish to call on the the government to consider the review of other existing taxes on fuel products in line with proposals submitted to the Ministries of Finance and Energy by the Chamber Of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) and other stakeholders in the downstream petroleum sector.

“We wish to remind President Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia to respect and uphold the sanctity of their political pact with the Ghanaian electorate.

“The Ghanaian people did not bargain for this level of the tax burden on the prices of petroleum products in the 2020 December 7 polls.

“This government has become too removed from the stark realities of the Ghanaian people and it is about time they got back on track,” he concluded.

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com