Trades Union Congress Demands Suspension Of All Taxes On Fuel After 54% Increase In Price Since January

Trades Union Congress Demands Suspension Of All Taxes On Fuel After 54% Increase In Price Since January

  • The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has said the rampant fuel price increase was taking a toll on the incomes of Ghanaians
  • Per the TUC's calculation, since the start of the year, fuel prices have been increased by 54% in total
  • The TUC has said a good way to relieve Ghanaians would be for the government to suspend all the taxes and levies on petroleum products

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see YEN.com.gh News on your News Feed!

The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called on the government to suspend all taxes on petroleum products, citing the 54% increase on the commodity since January 2022 as debilitating.

In a statement, the association of over 6,000 workers from 14 different unions said the rampant increase in fuel price was draining Ghanaians' income.

Ghanaians on street
Ghanaians have been complaining about fuel price increments since January 2022 Source: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images
"We propose that government must immediately suspend all taxes and levies on petrol, diesel, LPG and kerosene. This should bring down the prices of these fuels by an average of about 15%," the TUC said in the statement.

Read also

Fuel prices to reduce soon: Bulk importers say several engagements with BoG have been positive

The current charge is about 80 pesewas in taxes and levies per litre of petrol or diesel.

Enjoy reading our stories? Join YEN.com.gh's Telegram channel for more!

The TUC stated the astronomical increase in fuel prices was eroding the values of incomes of Ghanaian workers on fixed salaries.

"Many more Ghanaians have been pushed into poverty because of the rippling effects of higher fuel prices on the general level of prices of other essential items," the TUC statement added.

Proposing what it calls a permanent solution to the impact of fluctuations of global crude prices on the pump price in Ghana, the TUC urged the government to begin refining crude in Ghana.

"Government should also be serious about reviving the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to refine oil for the domestic market," the TUC admonished the government.

The prices of petrol and diesel at pumps in Ghana currently average around GH¢10 per litre, which is a significant jump in the commodity price by GH¢2 at the last pricing window.

Read also

Bank of Ghana raises rate at which it lends to banks to 17%; first increase since 2018

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD), a representative of bulk petroleum importers and exporters, has disclosed that the central bank is pumping enough forex into the petroleum sector to fight the cedi depreciation that contributes to fuel price hikes.

Bank Of Ghana Policy Rate Raised By 2.5% To 17% In First Increase Since 2018

The Bank of Ghana has raised the rate at which it lends to commercial banks by 2.5%, from 14.5% to 17%.

This means commercial banks will also increase the rate they lend to their customers in the coming days.

Bank of Ghana’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announced the decision today, Monday, March 21, at a meeting with journalists and key stakeholders.

Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
George Nyavor avatar

George Nyavor (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) George Nyavor writes for YEN.com.gh. He has been Head of the Politics and Current Affairs Desk since 2022. George has over 9 years of experience in managing media and communications (Myjoyonline and GhanaWeb). George is a member of the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners Ghana (CAMP-G). He obtained a BA in Communications Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2010. Reach out to him via george.nyavor@yen.com.gh.