The Deputy Minister of Energy is of the view that the National Democratic Congress' request to government to scrap taxes on fuel is just an attempt to receive as much approval from the public regardless of its consequences.

According to Mr Andrew Agyapa Mercer, it is unjust for the opposition party that contracted Power Purchasing Agreements he described as reckless, that have negatively impacted the coffers of the country, to go around and make such demands from government.

Speaking to George Wiafe on PM Express Business Edition, the deputy sector minister noted that it was recently in 2020 that government utilized 5megawatts of the additional capacity contracted.

However, government keeps paying year on year all the cost that are associated with those Power Purchasing Agreement that had been signed, he said.

He, therefore, submitted that: "if you listen to the government that when they were in power contracted all these obligations that have to be paid for, turning around to suggest that scrap all taxes and levies then one begins to wonder whether they are being altruistic in their comment or that it is just playing to the gallery just to create a certain impression to exploit in a deceptive manner for political gain."

Earlier this week, the opposition party argued that the 60% increase in revenue from the country’s oil sector makes it untenable for government to maintain the taxes.

Communications Officer for the party, Sammy Gyamfi, while addressing the media on the recent hikes in fuel prices, observed that despite about a 45% increase in fuel prices this year alone, only 4% has been handed over to the public sector workers.

But discussing the state of the country's energy sector, Mr Egyapa Mercer noted that the revenue government accrues from imposing taxes on petroleum products goes to finance the huge cost the country has to bear for signing the Power Purchase Agreements.

"When the Minister of Finance read the budget in March of this year, some of those taxes and levies that are being imposed on petroleum is being used to service debt that the power sector has had to deal with. Today, the short fall in ECG's revenue as opposed to the cost that it incurs in ensuring that power gets to our home is in excess of USD1billion. That debt has to be paid. It is cumulative," he said.