The Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Mr. Abraham Koomson, has thrown his support behind the government's decision to slash fuel allocations to political appointees, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and heads of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), describing it as a crucial move to rein in public spending and revive Ghana’s ailing economy.

Mr. Koomson commended the policy, stressing that public officials must begin to shoulder the true cost of their consumption rather than depending on excessive state subsidies.

“This is a step in the right direction,” he said. “Political appointees should not expect the state to bear the cost of everything they consume.

If we are committed to reviving the economy, we must cut down on government waste and excesses.”

The move follows a directive from the Finance Minister in the 2023 Budget Statement, instructing all Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), MMDAs, and SOEs to reduce fuel allocations to their leadership by 50 percent. The cuts affect all forms of fuel access, including coupons, e-fuel cards, chits, and depot supplies.

The government clarified that only half of the previous year’s fuel budget would now be available for official use.

While welcoming the policy, Mr. Koomson cautioned against its uneven application, warning that some civil and public servants may be unfairly forced to use personal funds to fulfil official duties.

“It’s critical that this policy is implemented with fairness and transparency,” he noted. “No worker should be expected to fuel their own vehicle for government business.

That would be unjust and counterproductive.”

He stressed that although cost-cutting is essential, it must be accompanied by proper planning and accountability to ensure that lower-level workers are not disproportionately affected.

“We cannot fix the economy by shifting the burden onto the backs of ordinary workers.

There must be a structured approach that includes support systems for those impacted by these cuts,” Mr. Koomson said.

He concluded by calling on the government to extend such cost-reduction measures across other sectors of public expenditure, while promoting transparency and ensuring that sacrifices made by citizens and public workers translate into tangible economic recovery.

He  gave this backing to the policy while speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu show on Saturday.