The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) has urged the government to temporarily suspend the additional GH¢1 levy on petroleum products to cushion consumers against rising fuel prices. According to COMAC Chief Executive Officer Dr Riverson Oppong, the levy was introduced when fuel prices had fallen significantly, but prevailing market conditions have since shifted. Dr Oppong stated that withdrawing the levy would provide immediate relief to households and businesses facing higher transport and energy costs, noting that diesel prices are edging closer to GH¢20 per litre amid increased import costs and higher international refined petroleum product prices.
COMAC Urges Government to Suspend GH¢1 Fuel Levy Amid Rising Prices
Dr Oppong argued that taxes and levies now account for a substantial portion of the retail price of petroleum products. The same reason you brought it because fuel prices had moved from GH¢17 to GH¢10, then you added one cedi.
Now we are almost back there again.
So take it off and get the praise that you deserve,
he stated.
Government Response and Alternative Views on Energy Sector Debt
While the CitiNewsroom.com report notes that Deputy Minister for Communication, Technology and Innovation Mohammed Adams Sukparu acknowledged COMAC’s appeal as a good call, he maintained that suspending the GH¢1 Energy Sector Levy is not the appropriate solution. Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily, Sukparu explained that the levy remains critical for settling debts owed to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and sustaining Ghana’s electricity supply. Although the levy has been in place for about a year, the accumulated sector debt has not been fully cleared, and removing it could undermine power stability.
,autocrop(1200:630) "Photo: Pulse Ghana")
Instead of suspending the one cedi levy, Sukparu suggested examining other petroleum margins or levies that can be adjusted to cushion consumers without affecting power stability. Meanwhile, Dr John Kingsley Krugu, spokesperson for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Environment and Natural Resources Sector Policy Committee, backed COMAC’s call on Channel One TV, arguing that the conditions that justified the levy’s introduction have changed. Dr Krugu proposed that the government temporarily suspend the GH¢1 levy for two or three fuel pricing windows to assess market developments and demonstrate that the government is prepared to share the burden with Ghanaians.
Recent Pump Price Adjustments and Broader Economic Pressures
Pump prices have seen recent upward adjustments across various oil marketing companies. Pulse Ghana reported that Star Oil increased its petrol and diesel prices by GH¢0.30 per litre effective July 26, 2026, citing higher international petroleum prices and exchange rate movements. Under Star Oil’s revised prices, Super (Petrol) rose to GH¢14.47 per litre from GH¢14.17, Diesel increased to GH¢17.67 per litre from GH¢17.37, while RON 95 remained unchanged at GH¢16.75. Meanwhile, state-owned GOIL and several other major OMCs kept their prices unchanged as of July 26, with GOIL selling Super XP at GH¢14.38 per litre, Diesel XP at GH¢17.41 per litre, and Super XP 95 at GH¢16.87 per litre following adjustments effective July 23.
Energy expert Benjamin Nsiah of the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainability Energy (CEMSE), speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show, called for a review of Ghana’s petroleum pricing framework to protect consumers from frequent fluctuations driven by international market volatility and cedi depreciation. Nsiah warned that continued fuel price increases could drive higher inflation, transport costs, and interest rates, affecting multiple components of the Consumer Price Index.
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