File photo of a vehicle being refuelled
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Communications team, Wonder Madilo, has said that the GH¢1 Energy Sector Levy would not significantly impact Ghanaians due to effective rate management.
He said this during a panel discussion on TV3’s New Day on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
According to him, given the effective management of Ghana’s exchange rate, a slight increase of GH¢1 in fuel prices won’t have a huge impact on the average Ghanaian.
“It won’t translate into a huge burden on the Ghanaian because the currency, which is the exchange rate, is being managed, and managed effectively,” he said.
The NDC communicator said that the focus should be on prudent management of our economic initiatives and debt obligations to strengthen Ghana’s footing on the global market and draw in investors.
“It is not how much is being introduced; for me, it is how much we are managing the introductions, how much we are managing Ghana on a good footing in order to go to the international market and attract investments,” he further explained.
About the Energy Sector Levy:
The Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which imposes a GH¢1 fee on petroleum products, was approved by Parliament on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
The contentious bill was approved with the goal of generating more money to pay off the country’s chronic energy sector debt and guarantee a steady supply of electricity.
The overall debt of the energy sector as of March 2025 is US$3.1 billion, according to Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who laid the measure under a certificate of urgency.
He added that in order to pay off this debt in full, at least US$3.7 billion will be needed, and an extra US$1.2 billion will be needed to buy the fuel that thermal power plants need to run throughout 2025.
DR/BAI