The Minority in Parliament has condemned the passage of the GH¢1 levy on petroleum products, describing it as an act of midnight robbery against the Ghanaians.
Addressing the media on Monday, June 9,2025, the Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, questioned the process that led to the bill’s approval.
“The E-Levy was advertised in the budget and followed up with town hall. It was neither advertised in the budget nor on the main order paper for the day. That is why we say that this amounts to midnight robbery. The E-Levy had an effective rate of 1% per transaction, yet it was described as pickpocketing. This Dumsor Levy has the effective effect of 8% per transaction, which is why we say that it is midnight robbery.
“The E-Levy was designed to yield approximately GH¢2 billion from persons who elected to do transfers or transactions. This government is taking GH¢5.6 billion from the pockets of Ghanaians, and we think it is very dishonest,” he stated.
Parliament approved the Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introducing a GH¢1 levy on petroleum products.
It is intended to raise additional revenue to address the nation’s crippling energy sector debt and ensure stable power supply, was passed late today, Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
The Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who laid the bill under a certificate of urgency, stated that the energy sector’s total indebtedness stands at US$3.1 billion as of March 2025.
Watch the video below:
“The day the E-levy was repealed, majority leader, Mahama Ayariga was on his feet on the floor of parliament shouting that the Government has put 2million cedis back into the pocket of Ghanians, now this Dumsor levy is taking from Ghanaians over 5.7billion cedis for this fiscal… pic.twitter.com/d23uKXo8sS
— Gen. Buhari (@Gen_Buhari_) June 9, 2025
JKB/AE
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