Ghana is going through excruciating hardship – Sammy Gyamfi

The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Sammy Gyamfi who is a also a member of the Arise Ghana pressure group, has said their planned demonstration is intended to protest against the government for the untold hardship Ghanaians are going through at the moment.

Sammy Gyamfi said the hardships are due to the high fuel prices and also some of the taxes on petroleum.

For instance, he said the 10 pesewas Sanitation and Pollution tax which he termed ‘Borla tax’ is not needed.

Speaking in relation to the planned demonstration on TV3’s New Day show with Johnnie Hughes on Monday June 27, he said ” the first major activity is the demonstration scheduled for 28th and 29.

“We are going to demonstrate against the excruciating hardships Ghanaians are going through. The hardships Ghanaians are going through is too much. This is occasioned largely by the hikes in fuel prices.”

“We don’t understand why Ghanaians should continue paying borla tax,” he added.

He also opposed to the payment of Special Petroleum Levy.

In an earlier interview with TV3 he said “Some of the taxes don’t make sense. In this time of economic difficulty we should not be paying a 10 pesewas sanitation and pollution, I call it ‘borla’ levy, on a litre of diesel and petrol, we don’t need a BOST margin of 9 pesewas.

“Most of these taxes, 80 to 90 per cent of these taxes are not needed now. Special Petroleum Tax, former President Mahama introduced it at the time the international market price was going down. We said we were going to collect it for just two years and when the international market prices go up, we will bring it back.

“At the time the international market price had gone down below 30 dollars and so we were losing in terms of our oil exports. Now, the prices have gone up to about 100 and 120 dollars per barrel when this year 2022, we benchmarked it at 61 dollars per barrel. if we are to scrap these taxes, I tell you, that the litre of diesel and petrol will come down by minimum ¢1.”