The Minority Caucus of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament has launched a scathing attack on the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the recent imposition of a GHS 1 fuel levy, accusing the administration of deception, hypocrisy, and underhanded legislative tactics.
At a press conference addressed by Hon. Aboagye Kwame George, Member of Parliament for Asene Manso Akroso and Ranking Member on the Energy Committee, the NPP Minority declared the levy a betrayal of public trust and a deliberate attempt to mislead Ghanaians.
Hon. Aboagye George lambasted the NDC government for what he described as a cynical reversal on its promises, questioning why a party that campaigned on alleviating the burden of taxes would now introduce a new fuel levy under dubious circumstances.
He asserted that the NDC’s handling of the fuel levy exposes the party’s inherent dishonesty and lack of consistency on critical national policy issues, particularly in the energy sector.
“The NDC hypocrisy has now been exposed by the fact that in their bid to justify what they mean they would do, they have now come up with confusing explanations as to why this levy is needed and inevitable.”
Hon. Aboagye Kwame George, Member of Parliament for Asene Manso Akroso and Ranking Member on the Energy Committee
According to the NPP Minority, the rationale provided by the NDC government for the fuel levy is not only inconsistent but fundamentally deceptive.
Hon. Aboagye pointed to remarks made by President John Dramani Mahama during the African CEO Summit in Abidjan on May 13, 2025, in which he stated that proceeds from the energy sector levy would be used to “pay down the arrears.”
However, this statement, according to the NPP MP, directly contradicts the contents of the official memorandum accompanying the levy, which states that the levy is not intended for legacy debt repayment but is rather meant to fund the procurement of liquid fuels.
This contradiction, according to Hon. Aboagye, raises serious questions about the true intent behind the tax. “Which is which? Is this levy to pay debt or to buy fuel?” he queried.
He further noted that the NDC had earlier promised to clear the energy sector debt by December 2026, but at the time of making that commitment, they had not disclosed any intention to impose a new tax.
The Minority, therefore, questioned whether the levy had always been part of a concealed plan or if the promise was made recklessly without a concrete plan in place.
“Further, assuming without admitting that this is for debt payment, how can you pay $3,100,000,000 that is, which amounts to GHS 80,000,000,000 debt, with GHS 9,000,000,000, which will be accrued out of the new fuel levy by December 2026. Is that even feasible?”
Hon. Aboagye Kwame George, Member of Parliament for Asene Manso Akroso and Ranking Member on the Energy Committee
This, Hon. Aboagye insisted, makes the justification for the levy not only illogical but also dishonest.
Procedural Irregularities
Beyond the substantive flaws in the levy’s justification, the Minority also condemned the procedural irregularities that accompanied the bill’s passage through Parliament.
Hon. Aboagye described the process as clandestine, noting that the bill was smuggled into Parliament under a certificate of urgency through a one-page Order Paper addendum.
According to him, the bill was not advertised on the Order Paper for the day, was not discussed at the Business Committee, and was not included in the business statement for the week.
The Minority argued that this suspicious process was designed to shield the bill from public scrutiny, deny civil society and stakeholders an opportunity to contribute, and rush the bill through before the Ghanaian public could react.
The NPP Minority also expressed dismay over the government’s refusal to consult critical stakeholders such as driver unions, fuel distributors, and ordinary Ghanaians before imposing the tax.
“Why would a party that campaigned on the grounds that they were championing the interests of Ghanaians now be sneaking tax bills into Parliament in the middle of the night?”.
Hon. Aboagye Kwame George, Member of Parliament for Asene Manso Akroso and Ranking Member on the Energy Committee
He did not spare those who have defended the levy in public, branding them as enablers of deception. “So-called neutrals who do the NDC’s bidding in this campaign should be ashamed of themselves,” he said. “You are part of the problem.”
The NPP Minority has vowed to resist the levy and hold the government accountable for what they describe as a betrayal of the Ghanaian people.
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