Industrial Relations Officer of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Abass Imoro, has appealed to government authorities to clearly define the duration and purpose of the GH¢1 fuel levy, which is scheduled to take effect on July 16.
Speaking in an interview with Citi Business News, Mr. Imoro acknowledged that while the new levy is not ideal, the union believes it marks a slight improvement over previous circumstances.
“We will still say it is a little better than where we were, so let’s move forward and see,” he stated. “We are working and want to ensure we make profit from what we are doing. If we reach a stage where there is no gain, we’ll be forced to act in our own interest.”
The GPRTU is calling on government to provide a clear timeline for how long the levy will remain in place, warning against making it a permanent tax on petroleum products.
“We plead with those in authority to make sure they come out with a timeline—whether it’s six months, a year, or whatever duration they think will sustain us,” Imoro said.
His concerns were echoed by the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), which stressed that the GH¢1 fuel levy must not become another long-term tax embedded in the fuel price structure.
“This new GHȼ1 levy should not be treated as one of those old taxes left on the price build-up forever,” COPEC noted. “Whatever can be done in the short to medium term to achieve full cost recovery in the energy sector should be pursued, so the sector can eventually finance itself.”
The two organisations warned that failing to address the levy’s impact could place undue hardship on drivers and consumers, especially trotro and taxi operators who are already struggling with rising operational costs.
