The Minority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin

The Minority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has criticised the John Mahama-led government over what it termed as a subtle attempt to reintroduce a repackaged version of the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy), under the new name ‘Energy Sector Levy.’

Addressing the Parliament on June 3, 2025, Afenyo-Markin accused the government of attempting to hoodwink Ghanaians by renaming a policy that was widely rejected by the public.

“You said you were repealing the E-Levy. Now you’re bringing it back under a different name and calling it the Energy Sector Levy. Whether you call it E-Levy or not, Ghanaians will still feel the impact,” he said.

The government announced the introduction of a new levy on fuel and related products and services to address financial challenges in the debt-laden energy sector

However, critics have argued that the move contradicts earlier decision to scrap the E-Levy, which was introduced in 2022, along with other ‘nuisance’ taxes.

E-Levy which was introduced under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration, attracted intense backlash over its impact on mobile money and other electronic transactions.

According to Afenyo-Markin, the introduction of the new levy constitutes a breach of public trust and exposes the administration’s failure to manage public funds effectively.

“This is not just about policy, it’s about honesty and accountability. You cannot withdraw a tax because it is unpopular and then quietly reintroduce it under a new name,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance has defended the new levy, describing it as a necessary intervention to address persistent financial challenges in the energy sector.

MRA/VPO

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