A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) is not merely calling for lower fuel prices at the pump. It has produced a line-by-line breakdown of Ghana’s petroleum price structure to show exactly where relief can come from, and how much.
The coalition, which includes IMANI Africa, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC), the Institute for Transparency Policy and Research (INSTEPR), and the Institute for Energy Security, argues that fuel prices in Ghana are shaped as much by local taxes, levies, and distribution margins as by global crude oil costs. By adjusting those local components selectively, they say, a reduction of GHC1.65 per litre is achievable without destabilising the energy sector.
The proposal gains added relevance following an emergency cabinet meeting on April 9, 2026, at which the government directed the Finance and Energy Ministers to reduce fuel prices by adjusting certain taxes and margins, with changes expected at the next pricing window.
Breaking Down the GHC1.65
The coalition’s figure is a sum of specific, targeted cuts rather than a broad sweep. On the levy side, the groups propose halving the Road Fund Levy from 0.48 Ghana pesewas (GHp) to 0.24 GHp, reducing the Energy Fund Levy from 1.00 GHp to 0.50 GHp, and cutting the Special Petroleum Tax from 0.46 GHp to 0.23 GHp.
On the distribution margins side, the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) margin would be halved from 0.12 GHp to 0.06 GHp, the Fuel Marking Margin sharply trimmed from 0.09 GHp to 0.04 GHp, and the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) reduced from 0.90 GHp to 0.45 GHp. Together, these adjustments add up to the proposed GHC1.65 per litre relief.
Importantly, the coalition recommends leaving the Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy untouched, a signal that the groups are trying to protect critical obligations in the power sector rather than trigger a financial shock there. The Primary Distribution Margin and the Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levy (PSRL) are also left intact under the proposal.
A Two-Month Window, Not a Structural Overhaul
The CSOs are clear that this is not a call for permanent cuts. They propose a two-month reduction window designed to give consumers immediate breathing room during a period of elevated global oil prices driven partly by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
As of the second pricing window in March 2026, diesel in Ghana was selling at GHC15.60 per litre, while petrol had crossed GHC12.40 per litre. Those prices have continued to face upward pressure from international market conditions.
COPEC’s own calculations suggest that a single pesewa movement in fuel prices translates to roughly GHC4 million in consumer impact, meaning a GHC1 shift carries an estimated GHC400 million consequence for Ghanaians at the pump. The coalition believes that scale of relief, delivered over two months, would ripple quickly through transport costs, food prices, and business operating expenses.
The groups also argue that Ghana has temporary fiscal room to act, pointing to expected inflows from crude oil exports as a short-term cushion.
Whether the government adopts the CSOs’ framework in full or uses it as a partial reference as it implements its own announced cuts remains to be seen. But the coalition’s contribution has shifted the public debate from whether prices should come down to exactly how that reduction can be structured responsibly.
