The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) says the reintroduction of the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy is a good intervention by government.
According to the Authority, the rollout was prompted by the government’s desire to save consumers from paying higher fuel prices and the intervention will help pay for subsidies on premix fuels and other residual fuels as well as help cushion consumers should fuel prices rise.
Head of Pricing at the NPA, Abass Ibrahim Tasunti speaking on the levy in an interview with ATL FM on Wednesday said the reintroduction of the levy does not mean that consumers did not benefit from its removal.
He indicated saying “ the removal of this levy for the three month period led to a revenue loss of over 58 million Ghana cedis per month, this is a revenue that would have gone into the account; so it is more like a cushion”.
Mr. Tasunti further claimed that pragmatic precautions had been taken to prevent the diversion of premix fuel.
He also indicated that his organization has taken measures to prevent fishers from overpaying for the subsidized premix fuel.
The national premix secretariat is also expanding this digitization so that when you are given a card, once you are registered as a fisherman, you can go and buy the fuel yourself directly from the outlet without having to rely on the people on the landing beach who sell at exorbitant prices” he said.
Relatedly, the Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC) Duncan Amoah has described the reinstatement of the petroleum levies as totally insensitive and a slap on the faces of petroleum consumers.
He says that COPEC has served a 7-day ultimatum to government to immediately reverse the re-introduction of the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy.
Mr. Amoah hinted at picketing at the Finance Ministry if the government fails to rescind its decision on the levy.
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Source: Emmanuella Ama Gyamfi/ATLFMNEWS
