Legal practitioner and Vice President of policy think tank Imani Africa, Mr. Kofi Bentil, has raised alarm over the lack of accountability safeguards in the newly passed Energy Sector (Amendment) Bill 2025, warning that it risks becoming a permanent burden on Ghanaians if left unchecked.
The law, which imposes a GHS1 levy per litre of petroleum products, is intended to help settle Ghana’s $3.7 billion energy sector debt. However, Mr. Bentil believes the measure could easily morph into a long-term tax trap unless Parliament includes a sunset clause—a legal provision that ensures the levy automatically expires after achieving its stated goal or within a defined timeframe.
Speaking on a weekend television programme monitored by the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Bentil questioned the rationale behind introducing a new levy without a detailed financial recovery plan or a clear end date. “You cannot fix systemic inefficiencies with perpetual taxation,” he argued.
Bentil emphasized that while raising revenue is important, Ghana’s energy sector woes—particularly those of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)—stem more from corruption, mismanagement, and inefficiency than from lack of funds. He described the ECG as a bloated institution crippled by internal weaknesses and warned that new revenue streams could be misused without reforms.
He was particularly critical of political interference and opaque energy deals, which he said have enriched a few at the expense of the country. “Politicians have turned crisis into profit,” he said, cautioning that such agreements risk saddling future generations with avoidable debt.
Bentil called for a comprehensive overhaul of ECG, including robust anti-corruption measures and professional management reforms. “Taxes alone won’t fix ECG. If we don’t address the root causes, we will be paying levies for decades with no improvement in service,” he added.
The Energy Sector (Amendment) Bill has already drawn public criticism, and Mr. Bentil’s remarks have added momentum to calls for greater transparency, time-bound implementation, and institutional accountability in resolving Ghana’s recurring energy sector crisis.
