Oil marketers oppose new fuel levy set to begin June 9

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has announced it will start enforcing a new Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy (ESSDRL) on fuel products beginning Monday, June 9, 2025. This new charge is part of the Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1141), which aims to raise money to pay off debts in the energy sector and improve electricity supply across the country.

According to a directive from the Commissioner-General, Mr. Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, the new levy will raise the current charge on petrol and diesel from GHS0.95 and GHS0.93 per litre to GHS1.95 and GHS1.93 respectively. Marine gas oil and heavy fuel oil will also see increases, while liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will remain at GHS0.73.

The government says the levy is important for fixing financial problems in the energy sector. However, the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) strongly disagrees with how the GRA is rolling out the new policy.

In a letter to the GRA, COMAC said, “We therefore wish to state unequivocally: COMAC and its members cannot and will not begin implementation of this levy from Monday, 9th June.” They described the GRA’s action as forceful and said it ignored proper consultation with the industry. The directive was delivered on Sunday morning, June 8, which gave companies less than 24 hours to prepare for a major change in pricing.

COMAC called the move an “institutional ambush” and compared it to a “Rambo-style directive.” According to its CEO, Dr. Riverson Oppong, they had met with the Minister for Energy and Green Transition on June 5 and offered three proposals to reduce the impact of the levy, but their suggestions were not considered.

The group also raised concerns about the rising number of taxes on fuel. Currently, fuel prices include eight different levies, making up 22% of the price paid by consumers. The new levy pushes this to 26%, which COMAC warns could hurt businesses and increase fuel costs for Ghanaians.

COMAC is calling for a two-week delay and proposes June 16, 2025, as a fairer date. “We are industry stakeholders, not bystanders,” they stressed, urging GRA to work more closely with the sector.