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Member of Parliament for Damango Constituency on the ticket of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Adam Mutawakilu has blamed the recent fuel price increment on the falling cedi.

According to him, it is unacceptable for the Akufo-Addo government to impoverish the ordinary Ghanaian the more with increment in fuel price when world fuel price has not shot up, but rather as a result of the free fall of the cedi in recent times.

Fuel prices were increased at the pump by some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) with the Chamber of Petroleum Producers asking for taxes on petroleum products to be reduced.

Commenting on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, the Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, Hon. Adam Mutawakilu slammed Vice President Alhaji Dr. Bawumia for failing to arrest the cedi as Head of the economic management team as he promised prior to the 2016 election.

“We have issues where as a result of incompetence of the government, the cedi depreciates and as a result, we the ordinary Ghanaian are to pay for that incompetence. Bawumia made it clear to us in 2016 that when given the mandate, he will arrest the cedi and lock it up with keys and give it to the IGP,” he chastised.

He reiterated that the Minority in Parliament has difficulties in accepting the increment in petroleum prices as a result of the depreciation of the cedi; thus, the ordinary Ghanaian cannot be made to pay any further increment.

"Our refined products in petroleum have a lot of taxes. We expect that any government that cares for the people and as a result of their incompetence, prices are going up, will take some of the taxes because the taxes are irrelevant as we speak,” he bemoaned.

He added that the benchmark revenue that the government is expecting from the oil revenue is below what is sold at the market, thereby, making some surpluses on it; hence, some surpluses are not needed as they pressurize the purse of the ordinary Ghanaian.

“ . . the special petroleum tax needs not to be there. We expect this government to use these tools to cushion Ghanaians but not to ask the ordinary Ghanaian to pay. We are calling on President Nana Akufo-Addo as a matter of urgency to reverse the decision of increasing the petroleum prices on Ghanaians and do the right thing,” he charged.