“Fuel Taxes Must Go” – COPEC Urges Govt to Ease Burden as Prices Soar

The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, has reiterated calls for government to reconsider the numerous taxes imposed on petroleum products, stressing that the appeal is made in good faith and without malice.

Speaking on the GHC1 fuel levy in an interview on Citi FM’s The Big Issue on Saturday, March 21, Amoah explained that the persistent rise in global fuel prices makes it untenable for consumers to continue bearing the full weight of multiple levies.

“It is a call that we had made that the government should consider lowering the taxes in the face of global spikes in fuel prices, and that is without malice, mischief, or anything. You would want a situation where it is a win-win for everybody. The government cannot continue to pass on every single one of the taxes to the consumer to bear,” he said.

His comments follow renewed debate over the GH₵1 energy sector levy, which the minority in Parliament has urged the government to repeal, arguing that the debts it was designed to clear have already been settled.

With diesel currently retailing at GH₵15.60 per litre and petrol exceeding GH₵12.40 per litre, critics say the levy now serves only to deepen the financial strain on households.

Amoah had earlier, in an interview on Citi Eyewitness News on Wednesday, March 18, noted that beyond the GH₵1 levy, other charges such as the price stabilisation and recovery levy and the special petroleum tax could also be reviewed.

He explained that while these taxes were initially introduced for specific purposes such as cushioning premix fuel distribution or offsetting low crude oil prices, they have since become entrenched revenue streams for government.

He cautioned that if geopolitical tensions in the Gulf persist, consumers may face further price hikes in the coming weeks, making tax relief even more urgent. “There is a good use for the GH₵1 levy, but we should start preparing to do something about it in earnest,” Amoah added.

Click the link Puretvonline.com | WhatsApp Channel to join the WhatsApp channel

GOT A STORY?

Contact/WhatsApp: +233243201960 or manuelnkansah33@gmail.com