"Avoid Being Ofori-Atta 2.0": Energy Expert Benjamin Boakye Cautions Ato Forson

• The Executive Director of ACEP has warned the Finance Minister against repeating the mistakes of his predecessor in relying heavily on taxes
• He criticised the newly introduced GH¢1 fuel levy, calling it a poor way to address the sector's inefficiencies, which require decisive leadership
• Despite opposition, Parliament passed the Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Bill, amid rising concerns over Ghana's growing energy sector debts

Benjamin Boakye, the Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), has cautioned Ghana's Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, against repeating the mistakes of his predecessor.

He made these remarks in reaction to the Energy Sector Amendment Bill, which will impose a GH¢1 tax on every litre of fuel to address Ghana's long-standing power crisis, also known as Dumsor.

In a social media post, the ACEP boss stated that taxes would not address the inefficiencies in the country's energy sector.

According to him, the only thing that could resolve the inefficiencies was decisive leadership to deal with the challenges.

He consequently advised Dr Forson against relying on taxes as a solution to fix every problem that the country faces, as the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, used to do.

When Ghana was confronted with a severe power crisis between 2013 and 2015, President John Mahama introduced the Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA) to manage energy sector debts and ensure a reliable electricity supply during his term in office.

2025 marks the 10th year since the passage of ESLA, and according to Boakye, the introduction of the new GH¢1 fuel levy was a poor way of celebrating this anniversary.

"Just avoid being Ofori-Atta 2.0. ESLA is 10 years old - a poor way to celebrate this anniversary. The pockets of people don't fix inefficiencies; decisive action does. The beneficiaries of these inefficiencies walk down our streets as the millionaires of the nation - they invent nothing."

The post by Boakye on the fuel levy and Dr Forson is below:

Parliament passes GH¢1 fuel levy

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, Parliament of Ghana passed the Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which imposes a GH¢1 levy on petroleum products.

The bill was introduced by Finance Minister Dr Ato Forson under a certificate of urgency. During his speech in Parliament, he disclosed that the energy sector's total debt had reached US$3.1 billion as of March 2025.

He added that at least US$3.7 billion would be required to settle the debt fully, with an additional US$1.2 billion needed for the procurement of fuel necessary for thermal power generation throughout 2025.

Energy Minister explains the GH¢1 fuel levy

John Jinapor, the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, clarified that the newly introduced levy was not intended to settle the energy sector's past debts.

In an interview with Joy FM, he explained that after assessing the energy sector, the government found that the liquid fuel used in the country was not included in the tariff structure.

He further stated that the government needs over US$1 billion this year alone to purchase liquid fuels.

Jinapor emphasised that even if all citizens paid for the electricity they consumed and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) collected 100% of the payments, the money would not be enough for the procurement of liquid fuel.

Commercial drivers resist GH¢1 fuel levy

Earlier, YEN.com.gh also reported that commercial drivers in Kumasi had resisted the GH¢1 levy introduced by the government.

The disgruntled drivers and bus conductors vowed to increase their transport fares if the government failed to rescind its decision.

Netizens who saw the post about the drivers and bus conductors complaining expressed mixed reactions, with some feeling sorry.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh