Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, has said that while protecting the environment is important, it should not come at the expense of ordinary Ghanaians’ livelihoods.
He made this statement while supporting the scrapping of the Emissions Levy Act, 2023 (Act 1112), which imposed a tax on carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions from specified sectors and internal combustion engine vehicles.
The levy, which took effect on February 1, 2024, was intended to curb greenhouse gas emissions and promote environmental sustainability.
However, Mr. Ayariga argued that its financial burden on ordinary citizens, especially commercial drivers and low-income earners, was too harsh.
“Mr. Speaker even though it wasn’t implemented I’m told that if we are to implement it we will be taking away GHS 386 million from the pockets of ordinary Ghanaians.”
“Mr. Speaker we don’t want to encourage pollution of the environment but the same time we don’t want to impoverish Ghanaians because this tax would have caught the Aboboyaa riders, the Mahama cambuu riders, the okada riders all these after toiling in the day to haul us from one location in the city to the other,” he noted.
While acknowledging the need for environmental protection, the Majority Leader stressed that the government must find creative and fair ways to implement the “polluter pays” principle without worsening the economic hardships of citizens.
The decision reflects a broader effort to find a balanced approach to tackling pollution without disproportionately affecting low-income earners.
