A former Minister of Health, Bernard Okoe Boye, has cautioned that the government’s decision to suspend fuel taxes offers only temporary relief and risks deepening Ghana’s underlying fiscal challenges.

Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on April 10, 2026, he urged policymakers to adopt more innovative and realistic approaches to managing the economy.

“I think with time, things are likely to remain the same in this country or worse, unless we get leaders that are willing to be innovative and to think outside the box,” he said.

Dr Okoe Boye criticised what he described as a recurring pattern in Ghana’s handling of fuel price increases, where governments attempt to shield consumers despite limited fiscal space.

“There is a lot of déjà vu that is going on,” he said.

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He added that such measures are often driven by political expediency rather than long-term sustainability.

He cautioned that absorbing the impact of fuel price increases can mask the true cost of governance and place additional strain on public finances.

“When petrol prices go up, the government comes to say we have absorbed the increases. You had a country that was claiming to absorb increases in petrol prices when we ourselves were not fiscally sound,” he stated.

He explained that when governments face revenue shortfalls, they are typically left with difficult choices borrowing, printing money through the central bank, or increasing taxes all of which have consequences for citizens.

“Either you borrow or you finance from the central bank, which is printing money, where we all pay through inflation. Or you raise tax,” he said.

Dr Okoe Boye also raised concerns about the assumptions behind ongoing revenue reform efforts, suggesting that some projections may be flawed.

“I tried to calculate that equation and it was wrong,” he indicated.

He stressed that Ghana must prioritise honest budgeting and realistic economic planning instead of politically driven interventions.

MRA/VPO

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