IES Press Release: IES Opposes Immediate Removal of GHC1 Fuel Levy
PetroPulse publishes below the full statement issued by the Institute for Energy Security. The text appears exactly as released.
Source: Institute for Energy Security | Date Issued: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
FULL TEXT – ORIGINAL RELEASE
Institute for Energy Security
Nii Leshie Avenu, Agbogba North Legon, Accra
IES opposes immediate removal of the GH₵1 fuel levy
1. The Institute for Energy Security (IES) wishes to state its position regarding calls for the removal of the GH₵1 fuel levy currently applied to petroleum products in Ghana.
2. While acknowledging the concerns of consumers over rising fuel costs and the broader cost-of-living pressures, IES does not support the immediate removal of the levy at this time.
3. The levy remains a critical fiscal and energy sector stabilization tool. Its removal, without a clear and sustainable alternative, could significantly undermine efforts to address legacy debts in the energy sector, address the cost of fuel in power generation and disrupt ongoing reforms aimed at ensuring long-term energy security.
4. IES also notes that premature removal of the levy could widen fiscal deficits and potentially shift the burden onto taxpayers through other forms of revenue mobilization or increasing utility tariffs thereby negating any short-term relief at the pump.
5. IES remains committed to providing evidence-based policy guidance to promote a resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy sector for Ghana. As we called on government in our earlier press to suspend the price stabilization and recovery levy component of fuel price build-up of the Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy (ESSDRL) in the wake of global oil price hikes.
Signed
Institute for Energy Security - IES
INTEGRITY | EXCELLENCE | SUSTAINABILITY
END OF RELEASE
PetroPulse On-The-Record (PetroPulse OTR) serves as a trusted record for official statements, institutional releases, and primary documents relevant to Ghana’s energy sector.
