Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, Adams Mutawakilu, has called on the Akufo-Addo led government to reverse the new margins it has introduced on the cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) which is widely used by the poor and vulnerable in the society for domestic purposes.
In a secular to industry players, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has announced the introduction of a new levy on LPG effective April 1, 2020. It also revised the Fuel Marking Margin from GHp3 to GHp4.5 per liter of fuel. The New Cylinder Recovery Margin (CRM) will be GHp13.5 per Kilogram of LPG.
However, according to Mutawakilu, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Damongo, the move smacks of government’s insensitivity to the plight of the poor and vulnerable Ghanaians who are finding it difficult to make ends meet for their families in this COVID-19 Partial Lockdown times, let alone cater for their utilities and other obligations.
“This is the time we need to cushion Ghanaians to be able to afford basic needs. We preach of climate change, we preach of deforestation going on. This is a trying moment for Ghanaians where COVID-19 has locked our major cities under partial lockdown. What we expect from the President is a reduction of basic commodities like the LPG. Shockingly, the National Petroleum Authority has rather introduced another margin…we think that it is out of place,” he indicated.
To this effect, the Ranking Member said he has filed an urgent question in Parliament for the Finance Minister to come and explain to Parliament the system and procedures that was used to arrive at the new margin because the country does not need this at this time.
He accused the government of making money at the expense of the people.
“All other things being equal, we don’t need this at this time. What we realize is that the President and the NPA are trying to make money for themselves. So what basis or what law have they brought the new margins without going through the necessary processes,” he observed.
He therefore called on the President to order members of his government, as a matter of urgency, to reverse the levies.
Source: Clement Akoloh || africanewsradio.com
