Scrap Special Petroleum Levy – Minority

The Ranking Member of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, Mr. Adam Mutawakilu, has asked the current government to srap the Special Petroleum Levy, which was introduced by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

According to the Damongo lawmaker, the levy has outlived its usefulness and is also the cause of escalating fuel prices in the country, recently.

Parliament, in 2014, approved the 17.5 per cent Special Petroleum Levy introduced by the Mahama administration.

The NPP Minority in parliament at the time, then led by its spokesperson on finance, Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboah, expressed disappointment at the levy and promised to reduce it in the event the party won the 2016 elections.

Eventually, when the NPP won the polls, the 17.5 per cent rate was reduced by two per cent by the Akufo-Addo government.

However, Mr. Mutawakilu believes the continuous implementation of that levy is partly to blame for the hike in fuel prices and, so, must be abolished totally.

He told Class 91.3FM’s parliamentary correspondent, Ekow Annan in an interview on Wednesday, 19 September that: “It has outlived its usefulness; the moment the benchmark price of 57 that we approved in parliament was achieved; the current price is 77.

“Once government starts making surpluses, it means it has outlived its usefulness and, so, must be removed.”