The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has threatened a nationwide strike on Tuesday, June 10 following the introduction of a GH¢1 levy on petroleum products.
The GPRTU have voiced the collective outrage of over 200,000 drivers and vehicle owners nationwide.
According to the GPRTU, the new levy is a unilateral decision taken with consultation.
Speaking at a press conference, Abass Ibrahim Imoro, the Industrial Public Relations Officer of GPRTU stated, “This GH¢1 increment per litre, which translates to a direct 6.7% surge in our primary operational cost [assuming an average fuel price of GH¢15/litre], comes on the heels of already escalating expenses”.
“This new levy could force us to implement a 10-15% fare hike, a burden that over 60% of urban Ghanaians who rely on public transport daily simply cannot bear.”
He added, “We are therefore calling on the government to reverse the levy immediately and engage us and stakeholders on the way forward,”
“In the event that our call is not heeded, we will be compelled to take industrial action and park our vehicles on June 10, 2025.
We urge the government to consider the impact of the levy on the transport sector and the catastrophic consequences of our action on the economy, and engage us in meaningful deliberations to help address challenges in the energy sector.”
In a related story, Abass Imoro has stated the John Mahama government has betrayed transport operators with the Energy Sector Levy after agreeing to a 15% fare cut.
Abass Imoro asserted that the government had the GH₵1 Energy Sector Levy under their sleeves but failed to disclose it to them when they negotiated a 15% fare reduction.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News Abass Imoro stated, “They knew very well that they had this under their sleeves and we sat with them, we engaged them on our 15% reduction and we finally came to a conclusion…
It is very painful that they knew very well they had this under their sleeves and that they should have informed us that this is what the government intends doing so that we would have known how to go about our reduction. It wouldn’t have been as deep as this 15% that we went to,” he added.
He added, “Lo and behold, they came out without any consultation. We are a major player in the fuel industry — the consumption of fuel, we play a lot of role in that. So we think if they had such a thing, they should have engaged us and see if we also have any contributions.”
“Looking at the 15% reduction — looking at the GH₵1 on a litre, it can never marry each other,” he stated.
He further revealed the union had threatened to embark on a nationwide strike.
“We have patiently and respectfully given up to 10th of this month — there could be engagement before then or otherwise,” he warned.
