Executive Director of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, has said that the suspension of a GH¢1 D-Levy on fuel will go a long way to ease the impact of rising fuel prices on consumers.

His comments follow calls from petrol consumers for the government to extend its intervention on diesel to petrol, after a projected 2.12% increase in petrol prices in the first pricing window of October.

The government has extended the GH¢2 per litre subsidy on diesel for another two months, while also reducing the Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy and margins on diesel by GH¢1 each.

Although petrol consumers had expected a similar intervention, Mr Amoah said the additional GH¢1 D-Levy suspension announced by the government would still provide some relief.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News, he said the government had already taken a significant financial hit by maintaining the GH¢2 per litre intervention on diesel for nearly three months.

“I think that you have a situation where the public has an expectation, and the government can only do so much,” he said.

“Already the government has taken a two-ghana hit on diesel for an unprecedented two months, getting on three from now. I think that the cost to the state will be huge,” he added.

Mr Amoah explained that COPEC initially understood that the GH¢1 D-Levy suspension would apply to both petrol and diesel.

He said consumers who bought petrol were still paying the GH¢1 D-Levy, while the government absorbed an equivalent amount on diesel.

“And so now that the government says that there is still one Ghana cedi levy to be suspended, I think that it would help. It will go a long way to drive it down,” he said.