Drop the New margins on LPG and other petroleum products, it’s insensitive – Adams Mutawakilu

The Ranking Member on the Energy Committee of Ghana’s Parliament, Adams Mutawakilu, has called on the Akufo-Addo led government to reverse the new margins it has introduced on the cost of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) which is widely used products by the poor and vulnerable in the society for domestic purposes.

In a secular to industry players, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) indicated that it has introduced a new levy on LPG effective April 1, 2020 and also revising 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.

According to the Member of Parliament 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, 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 commodity like the LPG. Shockingly, the National Petroleum Authority has rather introduced another margin…we think that it is out of place,” he indicated.

The Ranking Member said he had filed an urgent question for the Finance Minister to come and explain to Parliament the system and procedures used to arrive at the new margin because the country does not need this at this time.

He accused the government of making money for themselves 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||Businessweekghana.com