GPRTU fights fuel price deregulation

The Ghana Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the Trades Union Congress has kicked against the implementation of the second phase of the petroleum price deregulation policy meant to liberalise petroleum pricing by allowing petroleum importers and dealers to fix their own prices at competitive rates.

One year into the implementation of phase one of the policy, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are pushing for the roll out of the phase two which would allow an OMC to quote different prices at different locations.

But the GPRTU, which is also a member of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana Council (COPEC), said the measure would not be in the interest of consumers.

Speaking to Class Business, the national chairman of GPRTU, Kwame Kumah said fuel prices must be the same everywhere.

“We are saying that with the increment, if you go to some places, they have reduced the prices and so there are different prices at different places and if drivers load from here [Accra] to Tamale and collect about GHS200, he can’t go to Tamale and buy fuel at a different price and charge a different transport fare from there to Accra. So, because of that, we are saying we want the thing to be stable so if we are buying the fuel here for 20 pesewas, if you go to Tamale, the price must be the same. If you go to Kumasi, the price must be the same; that is what we are saying,” he stated.

Meanwhile, COPEC has backed GPRTU’s stance. Executive Secretary Duncan Amoah said allowing an OMC to quote different prices at different locations will lead to arbitrariness and has, therefore, called for a greater impact assessment to be done before the phase two of the policy is implemented.