Postponed Energy Levy Must Trigger Comprehensive Revenue Review - Oppong Nkrumah

The MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi and Ranking Member on the Economy and Development Committee of Parliament, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has called on the government to take advantage of the suspension on the implementation of the Energy Sector Levy to conduct a comprehensive review of the country’s fuel-related revenue streams. Speaking on Monday, June 16, he criticised the levy as unnecessary and urged the government not only to suspend it, but to permanently scrap it.

What we are drawing attention to is not just the suspension of the levy, because that levy is unnecessary. We are also drawing attention to the fact that the government should take advantage of this window, which has suspended [the levy] even while we are calling for scrapping, he said. He further stressed that this temporary break should not be treated as a mere pause, but rather used to evaluate Ghana’s broader tax regime.

Government should take advantage of this period not just to say we have halted it temporarily, but to do a substantive, comprehensive review of our revenue lines as a country, particularly the fuel levy. His comments follow a decision by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to postpone the implementation of Tariff Interpretation Order (TIO) No. 2025/004, which relates to the Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1141). The directive, which included a hike in the Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy (ESSDRL) on selected petroleum products, was scheduled to take effect on June 16, 2025.

However, the rollout was deferred until further notice after the Finance Ministry intervened following consultations with stakeholders. GRA Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong confirmed the suspension in a directive dated June 13, adding that a new implementation date will be announced later.