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Dr Joshua Zaato, a political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, has said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has introduced eleven taxes since it came into power on January 7, 2025.
According to Dr Zaato, NDC’s eleven taxes, six of them directly affect the transport sector.
Speaking on TV3 Big Issues on Wednesday, 6 August 2025, Dr Joshua Zaato said, “Since this government has taken over, they have introduced up to eleven different taxes. We can run through them now, but six of them directly affect the transport sector”.
“We were told, clearly, that the increase in the D-levy will not lead to increases in the pump”, he added.
Dr Zaato’s comments come following the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council announcement that transport fares will go up by 20% effective Friday, August 8, 2025.
According to the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council, the directive is in collaboration with transport unions.
In a statement signed by Emmanuel Ohene-Yeboah, General Secretary, and Alhaji Tanko, Acting National Chairman of the Council revealed that the price increase is due to three key developments.
The transport operators stated that despite the implementation of a 15% fare reduction on May 21, 2025, the price of spare parts, goods, and services has not experienced a corresponding reduction.
The introduction of a GH¢1.00 per litre fuel levy has led to an estimated 8% increase in fuel prices.
Also, the rising cost of maintenance costs due to deteriorating road conditions across the country.
The 20 per cent increase will affect taxis, intra-city trotro services, long-distance intercity transport, and haulage.
The statement added that, “All commercial transport operators and companies are to comply with the new fares and visibly post them at their loading terminals”.
Transport operators have also been instructed to comply with the new fares.
They also urged commuters, transport operators to cooperate for the smooth implementation of the revised fares.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has distanced itself from the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council’s 20 per cent transport fare hike on Friday, August 8, 2025.
Samuel Amoah, the Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU, revealed that the decision by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council was unilateral.
Speaking on JoyNews on Tuesday, August 5, Samuel Amoah stated, “Yes, we’ve seen the release from GRTCC talking about the increasing transport fares by 20% this Friday. When we saw the communique, we were a bit surprised, because we had no idea about this very increment”.
“What we normally do is that anytime there has to be an increment, the GPRTU, the GRTCC and the Transport Ministry will all come up with a joint statement. This has been the norm and what we’ve been practising for all this time. So this time around, when we saw this communique, we were a bit surprised,” he added.
He added, “It’s very new to us. And two, we are not part of whatever agreement that they had. We were not informed, as we normally do. Nothing of that sort came to us as GPRTU.”
In addition, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has rejected the transport fare hike announced by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC).
According to COPEC, the proposed fare hike is unjustifiable given the current economic pressures on ordinary Ghanaians.
COPEC argued that the reasons stated by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council cannot be used as a basis for punishing the suffering Ghanaian
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