Former Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has taken a bold swipe at the government over the recent decision to impose a GHC1 per litre levy on petroleum products. In a strong Facebook post reflecting his contribution in Parliament on June 3, Dr. Amin Adam questioned the government’s justification for this new tax, labeling it “exploitative” and “an affront to the Ghanaian people.”
Dr. Amin Adam, who is also the MP for Karaga, delivered a fiery submission during the Parliamentary debate, cautioning against using the recently stabilised cedi as an excuse to burden Ghanaians further.
“What crime have the people of Ghana committed such that when they are supposed to benefit from the appreciation in the value of the cedi through the prices of petroleum products, this government should claw back those benefits?” he asked.
According to Dr. Amin Adam, the expectation was that the appreciation of the cedi would result in reduced petroleum prices. Instead, the government is now introducing a new levy, claiming it is meant to address energy sector challenges. He argued that this rationale lacks transparency and contradicts the earlier budget allocations.
Debate in Parliament on the increase in levies by GHS1 per liter on gasoline, diesel and Naptha by the NDC Government.
Posted by Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam on Wednesday, June 4, 2025
“The Minister knew about all this and allocated 28 billion Ghana cedis for energy sector shortfall payment… So if you are losing revenue from petroleum taxes because petroleum prices will go down as a result of the stabilisation of the cedi, tell us.”
“The Ghana Revenue Authority exceeded its revenue target in the first quarter by 2.5 billion Ghana cedis… That should give you the 5 billion Ghana cedis the Minister is seeking to raise.”
Dr. Amin Adam also reminded the House and the public of the NPP’s track record in reducing petroleum taxes, contrasting it sharply with the current move by the NDC-led government.
“We abolished the excise petroleum taxes. We reduced the special petroleum tax from 18% to 13% and converted it from ad valorem to specific tax. But now, you abolish taxes that couldn’t bring in even 5 billion, and you turn around to take 5.7 billion cedis from the people?”
He further criticised claims that the new tax would prevent electricity tariff hikes due to rising liquid fuel costs, calling them misleading.
“Fuel has always been part of the composite tariff for generation. The liquid fuel we use is so small. To say that this will lead to a 50% increase in tariffs cannot be true.”
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Amin Adam appealed to Parliament to reject the bill to restore public trust in political leadership.
“When we give something with the left hand and take it back with the right hand, the people of Ghana lose that confidence and trust in us. This House has a responsibility to reject this bill to inject confidence in the Ghanaian people.”