The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) has urged policymakers and regulators to pursue fuel pricing transparency through a balanced framework that simultaneously protects consumers, preserves market discipline and ensures the long-term viability of the downstream petroleum sector.
The call was made by COMAC’s Director for Policy and Regulations, Mohammed Issah, during a panel discussion held as part of the 2026 World Consumer Rights Day event organised by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in Accra on Thursday.
The forum, themed “Transparency in Fuel Pricing: Is the Consumer Protected?”, brought together representatives from the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE) and industry regulators to assess the factors driving pump prices and the adequacy of current consumer safeguards.
Issah argued that pricing conversations must be grounded in the structural realities of the sector, including external cost pressures and regulatory obligations, not just price visibility at the pump. He stressed that transparency gains must not come at the cost of stability, and that simplistic interventions could produce distortions harmful to operators and consumers alike.
Panellists agreed that Ghana’s retail fuel prices are shaped primarily by international crude oil trends, exchange rate movements and the country’s tax and levy structure, rather than by the profit margins of oil marketing companies. That framing, they noted, is frequently lost in public debate over pump prices.
The session also addressed the Fuel Price Floor Programme, introduced by the NPA in April 2024. Industry representatives described the floor as essential to preventing predatory pricing and illegal fuel trade that had threatened the sector’s stability before its introduction, though the policy continues to generate debate. Earlier this year, Star Oil suspended its COMAC membership in protest against the programme, arguing it restricted competitive pricing.
The NPA used the forum to reiterate its commitment to working closely with partners to promote transparency, accountability and continuous reform in the downstream petroleum sector. The Authority also highlighted recent institutional reforms including the elevation of its Consumer Services Department into a full Directorate, supported by a modern call centre.
Industry leaders called for stronger enforcement, improved licensing standards and digital monitoring tools as the most credible path to improving consumer confidence in the downstream market.
