The Minority caucus in Parliament has called on the government to immediately table a repeal bill under a certificate of urgency to abolish the controversial Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) Act, 2025, widely referred to as the dumsor levy.
This follows the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) decision to suspend the implementation of the levy which was due to take effect on June 16, in response to the Middle East crisis which has resulted in fuel price volatility.
In a press statement dated June 14, the NPP Minority Caucus described the indefinite suspension as an admission of poor planning and a clear sign of inconsistency in economic governance.
“The government must convene Parliament urgently and repeal this punitive legislation in its entirety,” the group stated, adding, “Anything short of that will be rejected by both the Minority and the people of Ghana.”
The Minority said the levy, which imposes additional GHS1 levy on every litre of fuel purchased, should never have been introduced given the current economic hardships Ghanaians are facing.
They also accused the government of hypocrisy for blaming the Middle East crisis for crude oil price hikes, after previously criticising the Akufo-Addo-led NPP administration for using global events like COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war as excuses.
“This government, while in opposition, said competent leaders would plan ahead for global shocks. Just months into office, they are making the same excuses,” the caucus said.
They claimed that the previous NPP administration under President Akufo-Addo kept the lights on without taxing Ghanaians through a dumsor levy, relying on strategic partnerships and better fiscal management.
“We reject any attempt to blame the worsening power crisis on the absence of this levy. Stable electricity and financial relief are not mutually exclusive,” the statement, signed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, added.
