The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has backed the GHC1 energy fuel levy introduced by the government.
The Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy, according to the Fund, is a strategic measure aligned with the country’s fiscal goals under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme.
The GHC1 charge per litre of petroleum products, the government explains, seeks to address the long-standing energy sector debt stemming from the financial shortfalls in the sector.
Speaking at a News Conference in Washington, DC, USA, Director of Communications at the IMF, Julie Kozack said on Thursday, June 12, 2025, that the revenue accumulated from the levy will aid the payment of the energy sector debt and help reform the fiscal aspect of the extended credit facility granted the nation by the Fund.
“On the fuel levy, what I can say is that this is a new measure that will help generate additional resources to tackle the challenges in Ghana’s energy sector, and it is also going to bolster Ghana’s ability to deliver on the fiscal objectives under the programme,” she said.
The Minority in Parliament has kicked against the levy saying it will add further burden to consumers who the Minority claim is struggling.
However, government insists the previous cost of GHC17.00 per litre was more burdensome than the GHC12.00 being sold at the moment, explaining that the levy does not mean prices are going to shoot up at the pumps.
The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies, disagreed with the government’s intention to implement the levy on June 9, pushing it to June 16, 2025 after engagement with the Finance and Energy Ministries, as well as the Ghana Revenue Authority and the National Petroleum Authority.
In the meantime, energy sector stakeholders—including the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers—are urging government to use the extension period to deepen engagement with affected parties and improve transparency around the levy’s use.
Meanwhile, National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has said he would have taken the fuel price back to GHC17 if he were President Mahama, in response to the demands of the Minority on the levy as a listening government.
