A Professor of Electromechanical Engineering at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Prof. Christian Kwaku Amuzuvi, has called on the government to remove the 20 per cent tax on solar PV systems to encourage wider adoption of solar energy and accelerate Ghana’s transition to cleaner energy sources.
Prof. Amuzuvi made the call while delivering UMaT’s 13th Professorial Inaugural Lecture on the topic, “Driving the Green Energy Transition: Translating Ghana’s LPG Adoption Model to Residential Rooftop Solar PV Systems.”
Speaking to Citi News and Channel One TV after the lecture on Wednesday, June 24, Prof. Amuzuvi noted that Ghana’s efforts toward energy transition have been progressing slowly, making it necessary for the government to introduce targeted incentives to boost solar energy uptake.
He explained that removing taxes on solar PV systems would make the technology more affordable for households and businesses, similar to the incentives that supported the widespread adoption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Ghana.
According to him, the government should prioritise increasing access to solar energy through tax reliefs and other supportive policies before considering any future taxation of solar PV systems.
“If we don’t go for it, nothing happens. We have nothing to lose if we go for it now. Just as we did for the LPG national programme, and now today every home has several cylinders, not one, not two. We have been attracted to use it, and now, even if we increase the price, we will still go for it. Because we know how good it is.
“So what I’m saying is that, look, we can do the same thing for residential rooftop solar PV systems. And so, the government should remove all the taxes. Remove it for a start. Just remove it. Within five or seven years, remove it. Once you get people to buy into it, you can gradually increase it to now make some money.
“But for now, let’s just remove the taxes. And you will see how many Ghanaians will go for this system,” he said.
