The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, has hinted on a nationwide fuel shortage set to hit the country.

According to Duncan Amoah, there has been quite a bit of a challenge as far as supply is concerned over the past few days. “I can talk about 5 days. So, where you are expecting to get a load of about hundred trucks, you are getting 30.”

Duncan Amoah intimated that these shortages may be recorded partially within the system. However, he averred that he doesn’t know if there are efforts being made by the authorities to rectify it.

“It could be nationwide and doesn’t necessarily have to be cape coast or any other region. There’s not that much coming. If you recall, not long ago, there had to be some maintenance work done on the CBM and the SPM where we discharge fuel into the country.”
Duncan Amoah

Duncan Amoah disclosed that because some maintenance works had to be done, cargo was not coming into the system and that is the kind of shortages the nation is currently recording. He added that the nation is also faced with a situation where some of the Bulk Oil Distribution Companies are not being able to lift as much fuel as they probably were able to because of the differences in current price levels.

“These two probably will account for the kind of shortages we are probably recording. But it is our hope that the system will stabilize before the end of next week.”
Duncan Amoah

Nation shouldn’t foresee long term challenge

According to Duncan Amoah, the nation shouldn’t foresee any long term challenge because the issue might not be protracted. He noted that although there is a bit of a challenge in the system, it’s not likely to be with the nation for a long period of time as it may look.

“Even at current times, as of yesterday, they were not getting the numbers they needed to supply across the country but there is also a number of cargos that are also waiting to discharge.”
Duncan Amoah

This development comes after GPRTU recently increased its transportation fares, as a result of the increase in fuel prices over the last few months which has left a lot of citizens lamenting as to when the issue of fuel prices will be resolved. The decision, according to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, also resulted from President Akufo-Addo’s remark that government cannot afford to remove taxes on petroleum products.

In April, the Union asked government to scrap some taxes on petroleum products to cushion drivers and commuters but President Akufo-Addo rejected the proposal. According to the President, scrapping the taxes will cost the nation GHS4 billion in revenue.