Minority Presses Government To Account For GH¢1 Fuel Levy

The Minority in Parliament has intensified pressure on government to account for proceeds from the GH¢1 per litre fuel levy introduced as a dedicated intervention for Ghana's power sector.

At a press conference on Monday, April 28, Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament's Energy Committee, Collins Adomako-Mensah, said the levy was sold to citizens as a clear response to the country's energy challenges, but its collections and spending have not been properly disclosed.

He argued that Ghanaians accepted the charge at the pump during a difficult economic period because they were told it would help stabilise electricity supply and address financial stress in the energy sector. The Minority says that understanding now demands full public accounting.

"Ghanaians will recall that a special levy of 1 Ghana cedi per litre was imposed on fuel, expressly presented as a mechanism to address the energy crisis," Collins Adomako-Mensah said.

Minority questions where levy proceeds have gone

The opposition caucus says government has not provided Parliament or the public with a detailed report on how much has been raised since the levy was introduced, where the money was lodged, and what payments have been made from the fund.

Adomako-Mensah said the absence of a published report, public accounting, or independent audit raises serious governance concerns. In his view, the issue is not only about the amount collected, but also whether the money has served the purpose for which citizens were made to pay it.

The Minority is asking the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Finance to provide specific answers on the handling of the revenue. The caucus wants disclosure on the accounts into which the proceeds were paid, the budgets the levy supported, and the beneficiaries of all disbursements.

According to the Minority, these are basic accountability questions that should not require public agitation before government responds. The caucus maintains that a dedicated levy must be accompanied by dedicated reporting, especially when the policy was justified on the basis of national energy security.

"Ghanaians complied, yet to this day, no report on this levy has been presented to Parliament. No public accounting has been made. No independent audit has been published," Adomako-Mensah stated.

Energy sector debts remain central to the dispute

The demand for disclosure comes amid continuing debate over the financial condition of Ghana's power sector. Government has indicated that it has taken steps to stabilise the sector, including addressing debts owed to Independent Power Producers.

However, the Minority says available information does not support the impression that the sector's obligations have been fully settled. Adomako-Mensah said the caucus has been informed that more than $500 million is still owed to Independent Power Producers, while fuel suppliers are also owed more than $200 million.

That claim has sharpened the Minority's demand for a comprehensive update. The caucus argues that if a fuel levy was imposed to help solve the energy crisis, citizens deserve to know whether the revenue has reduced arrears, supported fuel purchases, paid power producers, or financed other energy sector commitments.

The Minority's questions focus on five key areas:

• How much revenue has been collected from the GH¢1 per litre fuel levy.
• Which accounts received the levy proceeds.
• What payments have been made from the funds.
• Whether the spending has been independently audited.
• How the levy has affected outstanding energy sector debts.

For the caucus, the figures matter because the levy directly affects ordinary consumers. Every litre of fuel purchased carries the charge, meaning transport operators, traders, workers, and households indirectly bear the cost through fuel prices and broader living expenses.

Calls for Parliament to receive verified report

The Minority wants the Ministers for Energy and Finance to appear before Parliament when the House resumes and present what it describes as a full, detailed, and independently verified report on the levy.

The caucus says the report should cover all collections, all disbursements, and the outcomes of every expenditure linked to the fund. It also wants the update to address the wider financial status of the power sector, including debts to Independent Power Producers and fuel suppliers.

Adomako-Mensah warned that failure to account for the levy would weaken public trust, especially because the measure was introduced as a targeted response to a sensitive national problem. Ghana's power sector has long been shaped by concerns over generation capacity, fuel supply, arrears, and the threat of outages, making transparency around energy financing a major public interest issue.

The Minority's position is that citizens cannot be asked to make sacrifices without being told what those sacrifices have achieved. It says accountability is necessary not only to confirm whether the levy was properly used, but also to protect confidence in future public revenue measures.

"We are calling for full disclosure of all collections, all disbursements, and the outcomes of every expenditure," the Minority spokesperson said.

The caucus further argues that if the levy has not been properly accounted for, Ghanaians have a right to know. It says silence from government would deepen suspicion about the management of funds collected in the name of solving the country's energy challenges.

As Parliament prepares to resume, the issue is likely to become a major point of political scrutiny. The Minority has framed the demand as a test of transparency, while government will be expected to show whether the levy has delivered measurable relief to the energy sector and the public that paid for it.