COPEC TO MEET THE PARLIAMENT OF PARLIAMENT ON THE INCREASE OF SLEC

The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has petitioned the Speaker of Parliament about the proposed increase in the number of components of the Energy Sector Fees (HALS).

In its petition, COPEC stated that "the current increase in the price of fuel is coming at the wrong time," adding that this increase will affect prices at the pump.

The mid-year budget revisions saw an upward adjustment of levies from the road fund, levies on energy debt recovery and levies on price stabilization and recovery.

"This should eventually lead to an increase in the current fuel price of about four percent," said COPEC.

The petition outlines a series of warnings with COPEC, highlighting the effect that rising fuel prices could have on the lives of Ghanaians.

"It will affect all aspects of the economy and could pose serious problems to people's living standards and their ability to buy. This will increase the cost of living of the ordinary Ghanaian, by increasing transportation costs for owners and users of vehicles. "

COPEC also insisted that "the ordinary consumer of the energy sector would be worse off and should not be forced to pay for recurrent debt, apparently created by inefficiencies of state-owned enterprises".

In addition to economic concerns, COPEC highlighted the negative consequences that the increase in fuel prices could have on the environment.

"As a country committed to reducing the threat of climate change, COPEC is of the view that when the price of LPG increases, people will be demotivated in their attempt to switch from non-environmentally friendly fuels to LPG, thus undermining the government's goal. penetration target. "

The COPEC thinks the government can find other ways to generate revenue "including taking prudent measures to control perennial leaks in the energy sector, where the state loses 1.6 billion GH ¢ per year to fuel contraband.

He also suggested reorganizing and equipping state enterprises such as TOR to make them "more productive and more profitable".

The Executive Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, has already indicated that he would protest against the increase of the HALS levies if the attempts of dialogue failed.

"We will use an initial dialogue to ensure that everything that he [the Finance Minister] offers. Members will either reject it or not let it materialize. But if they insist or continue to move forward, we will not go to the demonstration, we will spend the night with a sleeper, "he told Citi News earlier.

— living room