The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has issued a strong warning to the government to refrain from plans to introduce new taxes on petroleum products in the mid-year budget review.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is expected to present the Mid-year budget review to Parliament on July 25, 2023.

COPEC says its sources have revealed that the government intends to impose new taxes on fuel, which is already unbearable for consumers.

Speaking on the Breakfast Daily show on Citi TV, the Executive Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, lamented that such an insensitive action would worsen the plight of Ghanaians.

“What I am even picking up from the budget to be read soon is that if Ghanaians are not lucky, there will be newer taxes… But we will issue a warning here. If government dares us, we will dare them this time. I mean, it’s already crazy. We are trying. When it comes to austerity, what governments across the world will try to do is to provide support and reliefs.”

“But when you are in austerity, and you are taxing even more, you are simply shuttering people’s livelihoods. This is going to be crazy for people. But beyond this, if you are getting new attempts to slap taxes on petrol, which is already high, then the insensitivity, the misalignment. He is probably not diagnosing the problem properly to be able to proffer solutions properly,” he stated.