Political Aide to the leader of the Movement for Change, has described the newly introduced Gh¢1 tax on fuel products as a step in the right direction but one introduced at the wrong time.
Nana Yaw Sarpong believes that although the policy may support government revenue and sectoral stability, its implementation lacks the necessary sensitivity to current economic conditions.
“I have stated that the only problem I have on this implementation of the GHC1 on fuel litre are two. Firstly, the timing was very poor,” he stated on Angel Morning Show on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
He added: “Though I’m yet to hear from the Finance Minister, Ato Forson, on the timing why this time I feel that the timing was very poor. We could have worked around a certain time”.
Mr Sarpong argued that the Ghanaian economy is only beginning to show signs of recovery, and as such, the tax could have been introduced more strategically.
“You know, Ghanaians have started being relieved a little bit as things begin to turn around, so the timing should have had a critical touch,” he stressed.
Beyond timing, Mr Sarpong also questioned the amount being charged, suggesting that the rollout should have been done in phases.
“Secondly, I feel that we could have started from a lesser figure, maybe Ghp30, Ghp50 and then it rolls up,” he said, indicating that a gradual approach would have softened the burden on the public.
He further pointed out that while financial interventions and taxes might be necessary to support the energy sector, government must not lose sight of the broader infrastructure gaps.
“What they should also be dealing with now is the infrastructure deficit within that sector,” he emphasized.
According to him, long-term sustainability of the energy sector depends not only on raising funds through taxation, but also investing in critical infrastructure to reduce recurring challenges.
