The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers-Ghana (COPEC) has praised President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to scrap all fuel allowances and allocations for political appointees, describing it as a bold and forward-thinking move to curb government expenditure and promote responsible leadership.
The directive, announced on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, by Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu, takes immediate effect.
It also forms part of the government’s broader “Resetting Ghana Agenda,” which prioritizes fiscal discipline and the redirection of public funds to essential sectors.
According to the statement, the President believes leadership must lead by example in making sacrifices as the country embarks on economic reforms.
In response, COPEC released a statement commending the move while highlighting the excessive nature of past fuel entitlements.
The group revealed that appointees have been receiving an average of 833 litres (185 gallons) of fuel monthly, with some beneficiaries receiving significantly more, all in addition to state-provided and maintained vehicles.
“The decision by the government to effectively immediately scrap all allowances for fuel for every appointee of the president is commendable and forward-thinking, albeit a few things will have to be considered forthwith.”
COPEC called the decision a long-overdue correction, noting that while public officials should be adequately resourced to reduce the temptation of corruption, excesses must be checked to reflect the country’s current economic conditions.
It also called for the review of emoluments and gratuities for all public officeholders and recommended that the savings from the scrapped allowances be deposited into a special fund to finance developmental projects that will benefit both current and future generations.
“While we believe appointees should be catered for in a way as to reduce the tendency to be corrupted while holding public offices, we also believe the excesses of office ought to be curtailed and for that reason, we view this new directive by the President as completely laudable and commendable.
Given the above, however, it is our demand herewith that all other public office holders’ emoluments and gratuities be reviewed going forward to reflect the current economic status of the country as the government seeks to advance austerity in public spending.”
COPEC further encouraged the government to consider adopting electric or solar-powered vehicles for state use, in line with proposals by the Energy and Green Transitions Ministry.
They argued that such a move would eliminate the need to reinstate fuel privileges in the future.
