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The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has called on members of Parliament to remove the new levies on petroleum products.
According to COPEC Executive Secretary Duncan Amoah, there are gaps in the state’s revenue generation for which the Ministry of Finance needs to find solutions instead of introducing new taxes.
“I believe that if the Ministry of Finance channels its energies to close the income gaps, we can go far. That is why we have asked the representatives of the people in Parliament not to let us down this time. In conscience, they should reject this proposal because clearly there is a lot of revenue that the state allows not to be counted, and then we go back to squeeze the same people who are already crying for paying too much for fuel.
Making such a call on Eyewitness newsMr. Amoah further stated that “around GHS 1.9 billion of revenue owed to the state, went into private pockets. The total amount of taxes that we simply seek to impose even more on oil would produce 1.2 billion GHS annually. The government has already allowed 1.9 billion GHS to go into the pockets of the high and powerful, the revenue the government should be able to recoup has been wasted, and then it comes to the driver of the trotro to say, pay more taxes and let us recoup 1.2 billion. from GHS “.
“The accumulated increases that we have paid since January to date is already 17%, going from GHS 4.67 pesewas to the current GHS 5.45 pesewas. If you add another 5-8%, you are making 23% in one quarter. That is clearly unsustainable and we think someone needs to be up to the task of managing fuel prices for Ghanaians by making sure the refinery works, ensuring that BOST is playing the role that we use taxpayer money to build it for. ”
The government through the 2021 budget is proposing a new tax on petroleum products, among others.
This new tax, the Sanitation and Pollution Tax, is to finance efforts to finance investments in the areas of sanitation and pollution.
The rate is 10 pesewas on the price per liter of gasoline / diesel under the Energy Sector Tax Law (ESLA).
There is also a 30 pesewas increase in fuel prices to cover excess energy capacity charges.
If the proposal is accepted, Ghanaians will see further increases in oil prices at the pump.
—Citinewsroom
