Alexander Afenyo-Markin
The Minority in Parliament has condemned the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s sudden and indefinite suspension of the Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) Act, 2025, widely known as the “Dumsor Levy”, which was initially set to take effect on June 16, 2025.
According to the Minority, this eleventh-hour U-turn, announced by the Ghana Revenue Authority on June 13, is emblematic of a deeper crisis of leadership, incoherent policymaking, and political hypocrisy at the highest levels of government.
In a statement signed by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority said the very administration that vociferously criticised the Akufo-Addo government for referencing global economic shocks—such as COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war—as reasons for Ghana’s economic difficulties has now resorted to the same logic.
“The NDC is now citing instability in the Middle East to justify its failure to implement this punitive levy on petroleum products.
“This blatant contradiction lays bare the government’s double standards, opportunism, and lack of ideological consistency,” the statement indicated.
The Minority said the caucus finds it wholly unacceptable that a government which rode to power on promises of economic relief and social protection is now attempting to shift the burden of its own fiscal mismanagement onto ordinary Ghanaians through regressive fuel taxes.
The statement noted that at a time when Ghanaians are grappling with a severe cost-of-living crisis, the idea of introducing a new fuel levy, under the guise of servicing legacy energy sector debts, is nothing short of economic sabotage.
The Minority asserted that even more troubling is the manner in which the government attempted to pass this legislation without proper consultation with key stakeholders.
According to the statement, the abrupt postponement of the levy, following last-minute stakeholder meetings, makes it clear that this was a rushed and poorly conceived initiative.
“This is not policy driven by strategy, but one born out of improvisation and incompetence,” the Minority noted.
The Minority caucus said the justification offered – that the levy would ensure stability in the power sector and pay down existing debts – rings hollow.
“Under President Akufo-Addo’s leadership, Ghana experienced stable electricity supply without the need for such levies. Competent fiscal management and forward-thinking energy sector planning eliminated the need to further burden Ghanaians,” the Minority intimated.
The Minority categorically rejected any suggestion that repeal of the Dumsor Levy would worsen the current power crisis.
For the Minority, the deteriorating energy supply across the nation is a direct consequence of the current government’s failures, and not a lack of taxation.
It said the idea that the absence of the levy will exacerbate power issues is a misleading deflection from this government’s inability to manage the sector efficiently.
It suggested that what is urgently needed are comprehensive structural reforms within the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), especially regarding metering systems and revenue protection.
“The ongoing use of obsolete prepaid meters, unregulated power consumption, and stalled implementation of the Loss Reduction Programme all point to the government’s alarming neglect,” the statement pointed out.
In light of these failures, the Minority demanded an immediate repeal of the Dumsor Levy through a certificate of urgency.
The caucus said anything less is unacceptable, as this levy represents not just a broken promise, but an unjustifiable assault on the economic well-being of Ghanaians.
It stated that the government must be reminded that it was elected to bring relief, not hardship.
The Minority Caucus said it would continue to lead the resistance against this levy and any further attempts to impose unjust taxes on the people of Ghana.
By Ernest Kofi Adu