Ghanaians already pay levies for energy debt recovery and energy funds. See the attached list of the petroleum levies Ghanaians are paying. We pay as high as 40 percent in taxes and levies at the pump.

Taxes, for example, VATs and others, total to about 18 percent of what you pay at the pump.
The levies account for about 22 percent.

However, instead of using the levies for their specific functions. They are spent somewhere else on different purposes. They are added to the consolidated funds for the government to spend on its budget obligations.

In my opinion, levies are another form of taxes to generate revenue for the government.
As a result, Ghanaians are charged again with another levy to clean up the financial mess our governments have created at the Ministry of Energy.

Instead of the additional levy, the government should overhaul these levies and modify them to function effectively according to their purposes. Some of them are redundant and outdated.

Many nations have removed some of their fuel taxes and levies in order to alleviate some of the economic challenges facing their citizens.

This is the breakdown of how much you pay on the 10 levies at the petrol station. As posted by NPA, effective July 16th, 2024.

Fuel per litre (GH₵)

Energy debt. 49
Energy fund 1
Price stabilization. 14
Sanitation. 10
Special petroleum 46
Energy sector 20
Road fund 48
Fuel marking. 9
Bost 12
Distribution 2

Total 235

The writer, Mr. Benjamin Amponsah Mensah, is a Chemical Engineer and Energy Expert