Private legal practitioner and energy expert Kwame Jantuah is calling on government officials to pay their share of Ghana’s newly imposed fuel levy, warning that exempting them would be unfair to ordinary citizens.
Parliament this week passed the Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2025, under a certificate of urgency. The bill introduces a GHS1 tax on every litre of fuel sold across the country.
The government expects the measure to raise an additional GHS5.7 billion to help reduce mounting energy sector debts and ensure a stable power supply.
According to Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the energy sector debt currently stands at $3.1 billion, with a further $3.7 billion required to clear arrears fully. An extra $1.2 billion is also needed to procure fuel for thermal power generation in 2025.
Dr Forson has insisted that the increased levy will not directly raise the ex-pump price of fuel for consumers.
‘Necessary evil’ — but fairness is key
Speaking on TV3’s Key Points programme on Saturday, Mr Jantuah described the fuel levy as a “necessary evil” to tackle the country’s ballooning energy sector debt.
However, he criticised the apparent double standard whereby many government appointees use fuel coupons provided by the state, shielding them from the full impact of the new tax.
“Are presidential nominees and government appointees buying fuel from their own pockets? If ordinary Ghanaians are being asked to share this burden, so must those in power… If the entire country is being asked to share the burden of resolving the energy sector debt, then government officials must also pay the fuel levy,” Mr Jantuah insisted. “They do not feel the pressure that ordinary Ghanaians feel.”
He warned that without transparency and fairness, public support for the new levy could quickly erode.
“Do we have a debt? Yes. How do we pay it? If this were your private business, you would sit your family down and agree on how to clear it — even if it means selling the car,” he argued.
Calls for clarity and an end date
While supporting the principle behind the levy, Mr Jantuah expressed disappointment at the government’s poor communication about the measure.
“As difficult as it is, the levy is necessary — but I would have expected the Finance Minister to explain where we stand with the Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA). How long will this levy stay in place? Will it be till Kingdom come? We need clarity,” he stressed.
He further urged the government to introduce a sunset clause — a clear timeline for when the levy will be reviewed or phased out.
“Ghanaians will not object to this if we know when it will end. We deserve to know,” he added.
Government’s assurance
The Energy Sector Levy Amendment was signed into law on Thursday, June 5, by President John Dramani Mahama during a ceremony at the Jubilee House.
The President assured Ghanaians that all funds raised from the new tax would be used strictly to pay down energy sector debt and improve the country’s power supply.
