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Member of Parliament for Bantama, Francis Asenso-Boakye, says the newly introduced fuel tax under the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is “catastrophic,” describing it as far worse than the much-debated Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) introduced under the previous administration.
In a post on his Facebook wall on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, the former Minister for Works and Housing said the newly introduced fuel tax, dubbed the “Dumsor Levy” or “D-Lexy,” would have far-reaching consequences for ordinary Ghanaians. “Dumsor Levy starts today!” “If E-Levy was ‘bad,’ D-Lexy is catastrophic,” he wrote.
Double standards
He accused the Mahama administration of double standards and political deception, citing the sharp contrast in reactions from civil society organizations (CSOs) during the implementation of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) under President Akufo-Addo, compared to their current silence on the fuel tax under President Mahama.
“It’s truly sad, and frankly, hypocritical, how civil society organizations that screamed from rooftops against the E-Levy have suddenly gone silent on the Dumsor Levy (D-Lexy) introduced by the Mahama-led NDC government,” he wrote.
The E-Levy, introduced by the Akufo-Addo government in 2022, was a digital transaction tax aimed at broadening Ghana’s tax base through mobile money and other electronic platforms.
According to Asenso-Boakye, it was modeled after similar initiatives in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Cameroon, and Zimbabwe, and was part of a strategy to reduce reliance on foreign loans.
“The E-Levy was an optional digital transaction tax; a progressive tool… Yet, the NDC and their civil society allies launched a full-blown propaganda campaign, branding it as anti-poor and insensitive. Even when it was designed to broaden financial inclusion and reduce our dependence on external borrowing for infrastructure investments,” he indicated.
Blanket tax
In contrast, the D-Levy, he explained, is a blanket tax on fuel with immediate and widespread implications.
“Now, the same Mahama-led NDC, barely six months into office, has slapped a blanket tax on fuel… with direct and harsh consequences for the average Ghanaian: rising transportation fares, food prices, and inflation. It is a tax that hits everyone, everywhere — from market women to trotro drivers, farmers to students,” Asenso-Boakye wrote.
He further criticized what he described as the eerie silence from CSOs, accusing them of selective activism and being complicit in what he called a betrayal of the Ghanaian people.
“Suddenly, those once-vocal civil society groups are mute. No outrage. No demonstrations. No press conferences… This is the height of political deceit; a desperate bid for power that fed on populism and false promises,” he said.
“This is not leadership. It is betrayal. Ghanaians deserve honesty, not hypocrisy. If E-Levy was ‘bad,’ D-Lexy is catastrophic. And the silence is complicity,” he further added.
Reporting by Wilberforce Asare in Accra
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