The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has come under sharp criticism from Gushegu Member of Parliament and former Deputy Minister of Transport, Alhassan Tampuli, who likened the newly introduced “Dumsor Levy” to a repackaged version of the controversial Electronic Levy (E-Levy).
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, June 5, Tampuli criticized the government’s tax policy, accusing it of reneging on campaign promises.
According to him, the current administration had assured Ghanaians of the removal of what it described as “nuisance taxes”—including the E-Levy, Betting Tax, and Emissions Levy.
However, Tampuli argued that the new fuel-based Dumsor Levy places an even heavier financial burden on Ghanaians than the combined effect of those scrapped taxes.
“This government promised to remove what they described as nuisance taxes, which included the E-Levy, the Betting Tax, which was never collected, and the Emissions Levy. All of those, put together, do not come anywhere near what they are now asking Ghanaians to pay,” he said.
“They simply took out the E-Levy and brought E-Levy Pro Max,” he added.
By branding it “E-Levy Pro Max,” Tampuli suggested that the Dumsor Levy is a more severe and expansive version of the original E-Levy, especially as it imposes GH¢1 on every litre of fuel purchased.
In light of Ghana’s ongoing economic struggles, critics argue that the new levy is regressive and will disproportionately affect ordinary citizens and transport operators.
By Najat Adamu
