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Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, the former Finance Minister and current Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee, has called for a comprehensive review and the potential scrapping of several taxes and levies on petroleum products. Speaking on the heels of recent fuel price adjustments, Dr. Adam argued that the current administration’s intervention—a GH₵2 reduction in diesel prices—has failed to provide significant relief to Ghanaian consumers. He emphasized that the financial burden on the public remains severe, necessitating more drastic fiscal measures to lower the cost of living under the government of President John Mahama.
According to Dr. Adam, the temporary GH₵2 cut is an inadequate response to the volatility of the energy market. He pointed out that despite this intervention, diesel prices at the pumps continue to range between GH₵17.55 and GH₵18.99 per litre. In a critique shared on social media, the Ranking Member contended that the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration implemented more permanent and effective relief structures to protect consumers during periods of high global oil prices. He suggested that the current approach is merely a temporary measure that does not address the underlying tax structure that keeps prices high.
The call for tax reform in the energy sector comes at a time of heightened economic scrutiny. By urging the government to look beyond temporary cuts and instead focus on the "comprehensive removal" of specific levies, Dr. Adam is positioning the opposition to lead the debate on economic relief. This demand is expected to shift the focus toward the Finance Ministry, as stakeholders and the public await a formal response on whether the government will reconsider the existing petroleum tax regime to alleviate the pressure on transport fares and the price of general goods across the country.
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