Petrol hits GHS 13.30, diesel GHS 17.10
Ghanaian transport operators have issued a direct ultimatum to the government, act on fuel taxes within 48 hours or watch fares rise across the country’s road transport network.
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union delivered the warning through its Deputy Public Relations Officer Samuel Amoah on the AM Show, as the National Petroleum Authority unveiled new ex-pump price floors for the April 1 to 15 pricing window that sent shockwaves through the transport sector. Petrol has been set at a minimum of GHS 13.30 per litre and diesel at GHS 17.10, a sharp climb from the previous window’s floors of GHS 11.57 and GHS 14.35 respectively.
“We came up with this release and gave the government two days to do something about it,” Amoah said. “If they fail to do what this increment can, then we have no option but to organise ourselves to request an increment of transport fares for our members.”
The fuel price surge did not emerge in isolation. It is the most visible consequence of a cascade of events set in motion by the United States’ military action against Iran on February 28, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury”, which triggered retaliatory strikes and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, sending global oil markets into turmoil. Crude prices have surged approximately 26.21%, climbing from $86.20 per barrel to $109.23 within the current pricing window, breaching the psychologically significant $100 mark in the process.
A marginal depreciation of the Ghana cedi against the US dollar, moving from an interbank rate of GHS 10.91 to GHS 11.05, has added further pressure on a sector that is already bleeding from multiple directions.
Amoah was careful to stress that fuel is not the only cost squeezing operators. Insurance premiums for commercial vehicles have climbed steeply, printer buses that previously paid GHS 933 now face bills of GHS 1,194, while Toyota minibus operators have seen their premiums rise from GHS 837 to GHS 995. Spare parts prices have surged, DVLA taxes on vehicle licensing and renewal have increased sharply, and penalties for late insurance renewal have more than doubled.
The GPRTU has indicated it will convene an internal meeting to assess the full picture and present a proposed fare adjustment to the Ministry of Transport for final approval, but Amoah made clear that whether it gets to that point depends entirely on how the government responds in the coming hours.
“What the government, the president is saying is something they can’t control right now, but the transport operators may be forced to,” he said, a comment that captures the impossible position facing both the authorities and the millions of Ghanaians who depend on affordable public transport to get through their daily lives.
With global oil prices showing no sign of retreating and domestic cost pressures mounting from every direction, the 48-hour clock is ticking, and the outcome will be felt in the pockets of commuters across the country.
Source: myjoyonline
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