Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Edem Agbana, has justified the government’s decision to introduce a GHC1 fuel levy on petroleum products, describing it as a necessary intervention to help resolve Ghana’s ongoing energy challenges.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, June 7, Agbana emphasized that the government’s approach to the energy crisis is not political, but a pragmatic response to a long-standing financial problem.
“We inherited a challenge, and our approach to the challenge is that we need to solve this problem once and for all, and we have decided not to play politics with it,” he stated.
He stressed that the root of Ghana’s energy sector issues lies in inadequate financing.
“The challenge we are confronted with in the energy sector is fundamentally a financial issue, so you need to raise money,” Agbana explained.
According to him, the newly introduced levy is projected to generate approximately GHC5.7 billion annually.
While he admitted that the amount may still not be enough to fully resolve the energy sector’s troubles, he assured Ghanaians that it is part of a broader plan by the government to stabilize the sector.
“With this levy, we are projecting to raise 5.7 billion annually, which will still not be enough, but we have other things that the government is putting in place to solve the problem,” he added.
The GHC1 Fuel Levy, announced in May 2025, has sparked mixed reactions among citizens and industry players, with critics describing it as an added burden on already strained consumers. However, Agbana insists the move is a step in the right direction to fix the sector once and for all.
