The Minority in Parliament has called on the government to immediately withdraw the GH¢1 ‘dumsor levy,’ warning that the policy will impose an additional financial burden on already struggling Ghanaians.
Deputy Ranking Member of the Energy Committee, Collins Adomako Mensah, described the levy as ill-timed and insensitive, insisting that the government should instead focus on improving energy sector efficiency, reducing losses, and tackling mismanagement, adding that the ongoing tensions involving Israel, the United States, and Iran have driven up global crude oil prices, directly impacting fuel costs in Ghana.
According to him, the introduction of the levy—intended to help address challenges in the power sector—comes at a time when households and businesses are grappling with rising living costs, high utility tariffs, and general economic pressures.
He argued that the move risks worsening hardship rather than providing sustainable solutions to the country’s energy problems.
He questioned why consumers should be made to bear the cost of what they believe are systemic failures.
“Keeping the one Ghana Cedi levy is punishment,” he said, urging the government to repeal it immediately under a certificate of urgency and conduct a comprehensive review of all taxes and levies embedded in petroleum prices.
He further urged the government to explore alternative funding mechanisms that do not directly impact consumers, including cutting wasteful expenditure and enhancing revenue collection within existing structures.
The proposed levy has already sparked public debate, with some civil society groups and energy analysts also expressing concern about its potential impact on livelihoods and business operations.
Adomako Mensah pointed out that the government had fully addressed the energy sector’s outstanding debt between January and December 2025, paying about $1.47 billion, including repayment of GH₵597 million drawn on the World Bank partial risk guarantee and settlement of all pending gas invoices.
“With the World Bank guarantee fully restored and the energy sector debt cleared, the justification for the GH₵1 levy has completely evaporated,” he added.
