Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister for Government Communications, defended the controversial levy and dismissed criticism from former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia as disingenuous. Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile program,Mr. Ofosu accused the previous NPP administration of enacting “over 30 different taxes” during its eight years in power, saying current opposition to the measure lacked credibility.

“I have heard Bawumia waxing lyrical about this tax,” Mr. Ofosu said. “If his government had only introduced the E-Levy, Ghanaians wouldn’t have revolted. But they layered on tax after tax.”

The clash follows comments by Bawumia during a “Thank You Tour” in the Central Region, where he slammed the NDC’s Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2025—a legislative move that introduces a GH¢1 per liter charge on petroleum products. He characterized the new tax as a betrayal, branding it a “Dumsor Levy” in reference to the persistent power outages that have plagued the country and criticizing the NDC for abandoning campaign promises to ease the tax burden.

The surcharge is expected to raise funds to service a $3.1 billion energy sector debt and help procure an estimated $1.2 billion worth of fuel for thermal power generation—part of the government’s broader effort to stabilize Ghana’s energy infrastructure.

The bill passed swiftly through Parliament, drawing fire from the Minority caucus, which called the process opaque and the levy “predatory.” Critics say the tax will further strain household and business budgets already grappling with high inflation and a weak cedi.

Ghana’s energy sector remains a chronic fiscal drag, with successive governments struggling to find sustainable financing models. The latest tax measure underscores the fiscal pressure facing the NDC administration as it attempts to balance social spending with debt sustainability under an IMF-supported reform agenda.

Source:TheDotNews