The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has questioned how the government is financing its announced GH¢2.00 per litre cut in diesel prices, warning that the measure offers only short-term relief and does not reverse the increases consumers have faced over the past 18 months.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, chairman of the NPP Policy Coordination Committee and Member of Parliament for Ofoase/Ayirebi, said the reduction must be considered alongside the Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) Act and the World Bank’s decision to downgrade Ghana’s Energy Sector Recovery Programme.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra yesterday, he said the cut would reduce pressure on diesel users for one month, but would still leave the price above its January 2025 level.
According to Mr Oppong Nkrumah, petrol was selling at GH¢15.99 per litre and diesel at GH¢19.26 per litre on 3 August 2026. In January 2025, the respective prices were about GH¢15.13 and GH¢15.49, despite the cedi appreciating during the same period.
He also recalled that Parliament approved an extra GH¢1.00 per litre energy sector levy in June 2025 under a certificate of urgency. NPP Members of Parliament opposed the measure and walked out of the Chamber during its consideration, he said.
Consumers had since paid the levy for more than a year, Mr Oppong Nkrumah argued, yet the government’s response would provide only a temporary reduction for diesel users. Petrol consumers, he added, would receive no equivalent relief.
“The GH¢2.00 reduction is a partial and temporary return of money already collected from consumers, while the levy remains in force,” he stated.
The former Information Minister also criticised aspects of the Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which Parliament recently passed. The legislation increased the Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy on fuel oil.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah acknowledged the government’s stated objective of tackling tax evasion, but said businesses still lacked key information about the proposed refund scheme for eligible industrial users. The absence of published details, he said, had created uncertainty for affected companies.
He further pointed to the World Bank’s downgrade of Ghana’s Energy Sector Recovery Programme from “Moderately Satisfactory” to “Unsatisfactory”. The assessment, he said, reflected stalled reforms, procurement delays and weak governance.
The development reinforced the case for greater transparency and more prudent management of Ghana’s energy sector, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said.
He called on the government to identify the precise taxes, levies or regulatory margins being reduced to fund the diesel price intervention. It should also state whether the measure was included in the 2026 Budget and explain how the reduction would affect transport fares and the prices of essential goods, he said.
The NPP policy chairman urged the government to publish the full petroleum price build-up and place a clear ceiling on the intervention based on a disclosed fiscal amount.
He also requested regular reports showing the revenue forgone as a result of the reduction. In addition, he called for targeted support for public transport, agriculture, fishing and food distribution.
