LPG marketers to petition Akufo-Addo over proposed gas price increment

The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Marketing Companies Association says it will petition President Akufo-Addo, as part of its opposition to the increase in gas prices.

According to the Association, this is the only option left for them to ensure that consumers are not overburdened.

A kilogram of LPG is currently being sold at GHS6.30. Ghanaians are to pay an additional 18 pesewas on the said amount.

The LPG marketers have thus raised concerns over the upward adjustment of a kilogram of the petroleum product.

They say the move is not only inimical but also impedes the government’s commitment to increase the penetration of LPG use from 25 to 50 percent by the end of 2030.

Vice-Chairman of the group, Gabriel Kumi said the country stands to benefit more from access to LPG than the amount of money the government intends to raise from the price increment.

“We are writing a petition to the President and everybody that matters. There are a lot of laws that have been passed in Ghana but are not operational. We are going to petition so that this law doesn’t become one of those. We will do whatever it takes so that this tax is removed because the benefits this country stands to gain by pushing the consumption of LPG from the current 25 percent to 50 percent far more outweigh the money we are going to gain from these taxes”, he said on Eyewitness News.

The increase came at a time Ghanaians are expected to pay more taxes on fuel products in general following the introduction of the Sanitation and Pollution Levy, on the price per litre of petrol/diesel.

Other taxes introduced through the 2021 budget is the COVID-19 Health Levy and a one percent increment on the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) as part of revenue measures to help the economy recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

To this end, the LPG Marketers Companies Association of Ghana has asked the government to reconsider the announced price increase.

The association believes the tax will further worsen the plight of consumers and subsequently lead to a reduction in the use of the product.

In the meantime, the government is expected to engage the leadership of the LPG Marketing Companies Association on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 on the matter.

---citinewsroom