‘Transport fares won’t go up’

Story: Peace AWUKU

There will be no increase in transport fares in the country until 1st November 2021, transport operators in Ghana have said.

“We have to wait patiently for 1st November to see the next line of action,” Ibrahim Tanko, the Industrial Relations Officer at the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) told TV3 on Tuesday October 26.

Their decision follows the approval to zero the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levies on petrol, diesel and LPG for two months granted by President Akufo-Addo.

A statement issued by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and copied to the media  said the approval followed the advice of the NPA to the Minister of Energy to seek government’s intervention to mitigate the impact of rising prices of petroleum products on the world market on consumers.

Prices of crude oil and refined petroleum products, according to the NPA, have seen sharp increases on the world market due to a rise in demand of oil globally without a corresponding increase in supply, particularly from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies.

Because pricing of petroleum products in Ghana is deregulated, changes in prices of petroleum products on the world market have a direct impact on prices at the pumps, the NPA further stated.

” The outlook of prices on the global market shows an upward trend and therefore there was the need to seek government’s intervention to lower the levies to cushion consumers from feeling the full impact of these rising prices.

“The purpose of the Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levy (PSRL) is to stabilise prices for consumers and pay for the subsidies on Premix Fuel and Residual Fuel Oil (RFO). At this time it is important that the PSRL which is currently sixteen pesewas per liter (GHp16/Lt) on petrol, fourteen pesewas per litre (GHp14/Lt) on diesel, and fourteen pesewas per kilogram (GHp14/Kg) on LPG are zeroed to cushion consumers.

“The NPA will work with the Ministries of Energy and Finance to quicken the legislative processes to give immediate effect to this directive by the President.

“We are grateful to H.E. the President for granting the request to zero these levies to minimise the effect of rising prices of petroleum products on the world market on consumers in Ghana.”

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