The Minority in Parliament is calling on the government to permanently scrap the proposed GHS1 per litre fuel levy, urging authorities to seek more sustainable and equitable alternatives to address the country’s growing energy sector debt.

This call comes after the government’s recent decision to suspend the implementation of the levy, which was initially scheduled to take effect on Monday, June 16, 2025.

Addressing the media, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Economy Committee and MP for Ofoase Ayirebi stated that taxing petroleum products is not a viable long-term strategy for revenue generation.

“We, as the Minority, are calling on the government not just to suspend, but to completely abandon this fuel levy,” he said. “This suspension proves two things: First, we warned from the outset that the levy would drive up fuel prices. Second, the assumption that global fuel prices would stay stable was clearly flawed.”

The MP argued that the government’s U-turn on the levy reflects a broader miscalculation in its economic planning. He urged officials to seize this moment to undertake a comprehensive review of Ghana’s revenue mobilisation system, focusing on fairness and efficiency.

According to him, Ghana is still grappling with significant budget shortfalls due to tax cuts that were not matched by reduced public expenditure.

“Our revenue challenges remain. The fuel levy was expected to raise GHS5.7 billion to help plug a GHS6 billion budget gap. That gap still exists, and the government must find better ways to close it,” he said.

The Minority emphasized that loading additional taxes onto fuel prices only deepens the financial burden on ordinary Ghanaians and is neither fair nor economically sound.

“We believe there are fairer, more sustainable ways to raise revenue without making life more difficult at the pump. The government must listen to Ghanaians and act accordingly,” the MP concluded.