Ghana’s Economic Fighters League Condemns Energy Levy

The Economic Fighters League, a pressure group in Ghana, has condemned the Ghc 1 energy sector levy recently introduced by the Ghanaian government.

According to the League,
the Ghc 1 levy on every litre of fuel — popularly dubbed the “Dumsor Levy” or “D-Levy”— is a regressive measure that entrenches economic injustice and betrays the public’s hope for meaningful change.

In a press release issued on June 5, 2025, the activist group argued that the levy is not a fiscal necessity but a political choice—one that reflects a continuation of elitist governance rather than a break from it.

It says the levy is a burden that disproportionately affects Ghana’s working class, while systemic issues such as corruption, mismanagement, and elite privilege remain untouched.
This fuel tax is not a necessity. It is a choice. And it is the wrong choice,” the statement declared.

According to the League, the bill was “cooked up behind closed doors,” passed without public consultation, and cloaked in the rhetoric of patriotism—an approach they denounced as “cynical manipulation.”

Comparing the situation to post-war Japan’s transparent and participatory recovery efforts, the Fighters lamented the lack of genuine national dialogue and accused the government of using distraction and “strategic freebies” to divert attention from the levy’s real implications.

The statement also criticised the broader economic system which, in their view, relies excessively on taxing the populace while failing to harness Ghana’s natural wealth.

Citing figures showing over $1.17 billion in revenue from partial control of gold exports in a single month, the Fighters called for full national ownership of the country’s resources—including gold, oil, lithium, and bauxite—as a viable alternative to debt dependency and fiscal austerity.

“We must nationalise to liberate,” the Fighters proclaimed, urging a break from the cycle of exporting raw materials only to import expensive finished goods. They referenced the legacies of pan-African leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah, Thomas Sankara, and Muammar Gaddafi, asserting that true sovereignty lies in economic self-determination.

The Fighters also took aim at the opposition NPP for what they described as opportunistic posturing, accusing them of echoing activist language without principle.

“That they would hijack the slogans of the people only confirms what we have long said: the enemy is not just the parties, but the system itself,” they stated.

The group concluded with a set of demands: abolish the D-Levy, end ex-gratia payments, cease taxing basic survival, and begin a process of genuine public engagement rooted in justice rather than convenience.

“The people of Ghana do not need another tax. We need a new economic order,” the statement concluded.

Source: Africa Publicity