The government's contention that it cannot afford to reduce tariffs on petroleum goods has been dismissed by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
It claims that the government should work to give incentives that would help industry players and consumers cope with the country's high gasoline prices.
Other nations "gave money to their population" during the peak of the gasoline price increase, according to TUC Secretary-General Dr. Yaw Baah, and did not lose money as a result; hence, the government has no excuse for opposing requests for the abolition of petroleum taxes.
"I believe this is a social investment that we must do to restore peace to society and avoid any social difficulties; I hope the President would look into it."
The price of petroleum products at the pump has been steadily rising, affected mostly by global events but partly exacerbated by a slew of new government levies.
Some of the taxes have been petitioned for elimination by organized labour.
However, at the May Day celebrations on Sunday, President Akufo-Addo stated that he will not repeal the levies, claiming that it will cost the country $4 billion each year.
He stated that the government is now facing very difficult financial conditions as a result of insufficient domestic income mobilization.
"Part of the earnings from these same petroleum product taxes are used to pay some of the 700,000 public sector employees on the government's payroll."
"As a result, we remain subject to price fluctuations in the global market for petroleum products," Mr Akufo-Addo stated.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has reacted angrily to this, vowing to keep pressing for the levies to be repealed.
"I disagreed with the President when he said, 'If I remove all petroleum taxes, Ghana will lose $4 billion.' I'm not sure what he meant by "loss." You haven't lost anything if you provide something to your countrymen.
Dr Yaw Baah said that "the President simply looked at the money issue in terms of magnitude or whatever he believed he was going to lose."
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