Five months and they’re slapping us with taxes – Addiyire punches gov’t over fuel levy
The bill, which introduces a GHS1 levy on fuel, has drawn criticism from various quarters, with the government justifying it as a necessary step to raise revenue to offset debts in the energy sector.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency Organiser for Chiana-Paga, Peter Addiyire, has vehemently criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC), accusing the ruling party of deceptive governance following the passage of the Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The bill, which introduces a GHS1 levy on fuel, has drawn criticism from various quarters, with the government justifying it as a necessary step to raise revenue to offset debts in the energy sector and improve electricity supply.
However, Addiyire has dismissed this rationale as dishonest and a betrayal of public trust.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Friday, June 6, Addiyire expressed strong reservations about the tax measure and the motives behind it.
“The party NDC are very insincere, they can do anything and lie beyond reasonable doubt to gain power, and today we are seeing their true colours. Very soon everybody will hit the streets in protest,” he said.
According to Addiyire, the levy, which imposes an additional cost of GHS2 per litre on petroleum products due to prior budget allocations of 95 and 93 pesewas for petrol and diesel respectively, is already burdening Ghanaians just five months into the Mahama administration.
“Five months in office, they are already slapping us with heavy taxes — two cedi per litre, not even per gallon. This is just the beginning of the economic hardship Ghanaians will face if this continues,” he warned.
He further accused the government of misleading the public about the state of the power sector. Addiyire noted that the energy minister has repeatedly denied the existence of a power crisis, questioning why a levy ostensibly meant to address electricity issues is now necessary.
“They keep saying there’s no power crisis, so why are we paying a new levy to fix one? This isn’t about energy, it’s about plugging holes in the government’s budget,” he argued.
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