The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) has issued a strong objection to the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) directive to implement the new Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy (ESSDRL) effective Monday, June 9, 2025. COMAC criticizes the GRA’s approach as “neither lawful nor operationally feasible,” describing it as “coercion rather than governance” and likening it to a “military regime.” They argue that issuing a backdated directive on a public holiday for next-day compliance is institutional ambush.
COMAC had previously met with the Hon. Minister for Energy and Green Transition on June 5, 2025, to discuss the levy and proposed practical demands to mitigate its impact, which were disregarded. The organization highlights that the downstream sector is already burdened with eight separate taxes and levies, cumulatively representing 22% of the ex-pump price, and the ESSDRL increment would push this to 26%, threatening industry survival, competitiveness, and consumer welfare.
COMAC emphasizes that the abrupt implementation denies Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) the necessary lead time to adjust systems, prices, and inventory. They assert that OMCs cannot generate funds for a tax they did not anticipate on short notice. COMAC requests a minimum two-week transition period, with a new implementation date of June 16, 2025, to allow industry players to align with this major fiscal change. They stress that this must not be reduced to a technocratic rush and that they deserve better than “Rambo-style directives” issued on short notice. Alexander Afriyie, ghanacrimereport.com, pupilslibrary.com, readonline.us, ghanatalk.com