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Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has taken a strong swipe at the NDC government, accusing it of betraying campaign promises by introducing a new fuel levy that he claims is “eight times more burdensome” than the scrapped E-Levy.
Speaking at the close of his nationwide Thank You Tour in Cape Coast, Dr. Bawumia described the newly introduced GH₵1 tax on every litre of fuel as a “Dumsor Levy,” a sharp contrast to the NDC’s 2024 election pledge to reduce taxes.
“The NDC told a lot of lies. Everyone is now seeing the truth. Last night, they introduced what I call the ‘Dumsor Levy.’ They scrapped the E-Levy, yes but what they’ve introduced is eight times worse,” Bawumia told party supporters.
He explained that under the E-Levy, sending GH₵1,000 attracted a GH₵10 charge. In contrast, with the new tax on fuel, buying GH₵1,000 worth of fuel now results in GH₵83 in taxes.
“This is not just about the present levy,” he cautioned. “More is yet to come. By the time we get to 2028, Ghanaians will realise the depth of deception. And they will call on us to return to govern Ghana properly.”
The NDC government, led by President John Mahama, introduced the levy as part of the newly passed Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Bill. The government projects it will raise GH₵5.7 billion annually to settle energy sector debts and fund power generation.
In defense of the policy, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, said in an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show that the levy was necessary to ensure long-term energy stability.
“When we took over, the prices of petroleum products were too high, and so we didn’t impose it immediately. But now, with better conditions, this is the right time for this prudent fiscal measure,” he said.
