The Minority in Parliament has renewed its call for the permanent abolition of the GH¢1-per-litre fuel levy, arguing that the government’s decision to suspend the charge for two months will only provide temporary relief.
Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Energy Committee, Collins Adomako-Mensah, said the levy would return once the suspension period ends, leaving consumers to face the additional cost again.
Speaking on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Thursday, November 5, the Afigya Kwabre East MP said the Minority had opposed the levy from its introduction and wanted it scrapped entirely.
“We still insist [it] should have been abolished. What this means is that after two months or a month, that one Ghana cedi will come back,” he said.
He stressed that the Minority was not satisfied with a temporary suspension of the charge.
“We don’t even want to hear the suspension of the one Ghana cedi. That one Ghana cedi, we still insist, should have been abolished,” he added.
Adomako-Mensah also questioned why the levy was imposed per litre rather than per gallon, arguing that the latter approach would have reduced the financial burden on motorists and commercial transport operators, particularly diesel users.
He further called for a review of the taxes and other levies included in petroleum prices, saying a broader assessment was needed to provide consumers with lasting relief.
His comments follow the government’s decision to suspend the GH¢1-per-litre Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy, commonly known as the D-Levy, on diesel for October and November as part of measures to cushion consumers against rising fuel prices.
The Minority, however, says the temporary suspension does not go far enough and wants the charge removed permanently.
