The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has backed calls by some 16 driver unions asking government to scrap a number of taxes, described as nuisance taxes, imposed on petroleum products. The NDC suggested that the drivers are right in their move to embark on a strike to drive home their concerns about their financial situation.
It would be recalled that some 16 driver unions demanded that government scraps some taxes on petroleum products. According to the unions, they have identified at least five taxes that they believe serve no useful purpose. They want the Energy Debt Recovery Levy, the Road Fund Levy, Energy Sector Levy, Sanitation Levy and Special Petroleum Levy, scrapped.
Speaking to Samuel Mbura on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show, the Deputy Upper East Regional Communications Director of the NDC Mr. Casper Kanpoli explained that it is within the right of the drivers to withdraw their services to the public.
“The people of this country live in this country. They know what they are going through, what is going on in their pockets and how they procure goods and services in this country. We in the NDC cannot pretend to understand the people’s plight than they themselves. So if 16 driver unions are coming out to say that times are hard, fuel prices are up there and the return they are getting cannot get them fuel for their daily activities and they are seeking that certain nuisance taxes be scrapped, these are genuine concerns,” he said.
Mr. Kanpoli however called on the drivers to exercise patience. He pleaded with the drivers to hold on until government’s budget is read. “Government should do the needful. Those nuisance taxes should be taken off so that the fuel prices can come down. Fuel prices are going up because of the taxes that this government is introducing. There is a possibility that the 2022 budget there will be more taxes”.
“For the drivers we are pleading with them. Let us give government sometime to scrap the taxes. If they [government] refuse to take the taxes off, they can take actions that they want to take. They should give government some time to do this because these things take time,” he explained.
Meanwhile, responding to the impending strike of the driver unions, A Deputy National Communications Officer with the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Richard Asante Yeboah sympathized with the concerns of the drivers but was quick to add that the current situation with the prices of fuel was not only peculiar to Ghana. “This is not necessarily a Ghanaian phenomenon. This has been occasioned by the International Market Oil prices. You will realize that in terms of fuel levies, this government has taken the opportunity to either remove or reduce certain levies on petroleum. The idea has been to reduce the suffering on the Ghanaian and the economic hardships we came to meet,” he explained.
He touted government’s resolve to alleviate the burden of the Ghanaian people by removing 9 different taxes while reducing some 14 taxes. “Government has taken deliberate attempts to provide various assistance to Ghanaians to reduce the kind of pain and hardship we came to meet. At every point in time, I understand frustrations Ghanaians would want to express. Truth be told, we cannot do anything but to understand it because it is a reality on the ground that international prices of fuel are going up,” he said.
Background
Sixteen driver unions are demanding that government scraps some taxes on petroleum products. According to the unions, they have identified at least five taxes that they believe serve no useful purpose. They say should their caution go unheeded, they will be forced to withdraw their services on Thursday at 3 pm. A litre of petrol and diesel currently sells at ¢6.90 at major oil marketing companies across the country. The driver unions say they cannot continue to put up with such high prices.
Meanhwhile, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Alhaji Ibrahim Abass Moro said has said transport operators are not going to increase fares in spite of the rise in fuel prices. He explained that Ghanaians are already overburdened hence they won’t worsen their plight by increasing the fares. The decision, he said was taken at a meeting held on Monday November 8. They had earlier served a notice to increase transport fares today, Tuesday, November 9, 2021, if the government failed to resolve the rising fuel prices in the country.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz| Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
