Former Vice President and 2024 NPP presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has sharply criticised the NDC government for introducing what he calls a “Dumsor Levy” on fuel, describing it as a betrayal of campaign promises and far more punitive than the now-scrapped E-Levy.

Addressing party supporters in Cape Coast during the final leg of his nationwide “Thank You Tour” of the Central Region, Dr Bawumia accused the governing NDC of hypocrisy and deception.

“They promised to scrap the E-Levy, and they have. But what have they done next? They’ve introduced a new tax that is eight times worse — the so-called Dumsor Levy,” he charged.

According to Dr Bawumia, the new GH¢1.00 levy on every litre of fuel is a heavier financial burden than the E-Levy ever was.

“If you buy GH¢1,000 worth of fuel today, you’ll pay GH¢83 in tax. Under the E-Levy, transferring GH¢1,000 would only attract a GH¢10 charge. So tell me, which one is more painful to the average Ghanaian?” he asked.

He warned that Ghanaians should prepare for even more taxes, claiming the NDC administration is headed down a path of fiscal overreach masked as economic recovery. “And more is yet to come,” he warned. “By 2028, Ghanaians will realise the extent of the deception. But by then, they will call on us, the NPP, to return and govern this country properly.”

Read Also: We’ll audit funds regularly and make reports public – Mahama on GH₵1 fuel levy

Meanwhile, Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, has defended the introduction of the GH¢1.00 petroleum levy. Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Jinapor said the levy is a prudent fiscal measure to stabilise the country’s energy sector.

“We couldn’t impose it earlier due to high petroleum prices. But this is the right time to act. It’s a strategic intervention to address long-standing energy challenges,” Mr Jinapor explained.

Read Also: President Mahama justifies new petroleum levy as “difficult but necessary”

Still, Dr Bawumia insists the government has failed to live up to its own standard of accountability and has instead deepened the financial hardship it once campaigned against.

Read Also: Bawumia slams NDC, says they’ve told a lie by introducing ‘dumsor levy’ after removing E-levy