The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture is moving to curb the diversion and misuse of subsidised premix fuel, aiming to protect support for Ghana’s small-scale fishers and coastal livelihoods.
Officials say subsidised premix, meant for canoe operators and artisanal fishers, is being diverted and resold on the open market at inflated prices, undermining both the programme’s purpose and public finances.
The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) raised the alarm during a courtesy call on Fisheries Minister Emelia Arthur. Its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Riverson Oppong, warned that hoarding and unregulated resale are weakening the system and shutting out the fishers it was designed to help.
Oppong called for tighter enforcement and closer collaboration between state agencies, describing the leakage as a profit-driven distortion of the distribution chain that demands firm compliance action.
“The system is being weakened by diversion, hoarding and unregulated resale,” he said.
Arthur said the government is determined to protect the subsidy framework. She noted that the Ministry and the Premix Fuel Secretariat are already running tracking and arrest operations against offenders, and that the Fisheries Enforcement Unit (FEU) will continue to back prosecutions to deter illegal activity and tighten oversight.
The pledge builds on a wider premix reform push under Arthur, who has prioritised transparency in fuel distribution and accountability for community development funds tied to the subsidy.
