Fuel price hikes: COPEC to sue gov’t

The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC) has threatened to head to court over what it describes as needless fuel price increases by government.

Prices of petroleum products went up by between 18 to 27 per cent after the passage of the Energy Sector Levy bill by Parliament last month.

The group’s lawyers are currently studying documents of the increases to ensure that consumers are not ripped off by government.

Executive Secretary of COPEC, Mr. Duncan Amoah, insists the government must either review or withdraw the bill immediately.

Mr. Amoah said resorting to court is the surest way to save Ghanaians the burden of paying “these needless taxes”.

“Indeed we will not hesitate going to court. Our lawyers are already working around the clock to ensure that whatever legal remedy that exists, we will also explore that to the fullest potential and ensure that nothing but what is there prevails in the system,” he added.

Mr. Amoah noted that there exists an opportunity to prevent governments in future from interfering with petroleum pricing the way they have been doing in the past.

“As we have entered deregulation, I think we will explore those options further and ensure that subsequent or future governments do not take the citizenry for a bad ride anytime they so wish, as far as petroleum issues and pricing are concerned,” he stressed.