Accra, Jan. 19, GNA- The leadership of the various commercial transport unions will meet on Monday, January 24, 2022, to deliberate on adjustment in transport fares.
The meeting has been necessitated by the hikes in fuel prices and Government’s failure to scrap some taxes on petroleum products, Mr Abass Imoro, Head of Communications, Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.
He said the hikes in fuel prices had taken a toll on their businesses, adding that the meeting would enable the transport operators to take a collective decision on the way forward.
The outcome of the meeting would be forwarded to the Ministry of Transport for action.
“We don’t want a situation where each Association would come a figure. There hasn’t been any specific decision yet.
“Already, we have asked the Government to scrap some taxes. We will decide at the meeting whether or not we should insist on that or shift the goalpost,” he said.
The Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana (C-DAG) has shelved its plan to increase transport fares by 40 per cent as earlier announced.
The proposed increment did not get the backing of the other commercial transport unions, with the GRPTU dissociating itself from the move.
The intended increment, the C-DAG said, was necessitated by the rising cost of fuel, spare parts, and lubricants, increment in cost of vehicles, and high cost of living.
The Coalition of Private Road Transport Operators, last month, embarked on a nationwide sit-down strike to express their displeasure over high fuel prices, which they said, was badly affecting their operations.
They demanded that the Government scrapped some taxes on petroleum products, including the Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levy, Energy Debt Recovery Levy, and Fuel Marking Margin to ease the burden on consumers.
Mr Imoro said one month after the industrial action, the situation had not changed.
“The Government assured us that fuel prices would be reduced as we go forward but that has not happened,” he said.
An assessment by the GNA indicates that as of Monday, January 17, 2022, some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) had increased their prices for petrol from GHC6.8 per litre to GHC6.9 per litre whereas diesel was sold for GHC7.0 per litre.
Some other OMCs have, however, maintained their prices at the pumps, with some selling both petrol and diesel for as low as GHC6.3 per litre.
Some analysts have projected that fuel prices may shoot up as high as 3.7 pesewas per litre before the end of January, 2022, owing to the continuous rise in crude oil prices on the international market.
In its review of the First Pricing-Window in January, the Institute for Energy Security (IES) projected that fuel prices would go up between Ghp30 to Ghp40 per litre in the 2nd Pricing Window of January.
“The imminent price increases may force some OMCs to sell Gasoline and Gasoil at Gh¢7.00 per litre at the pumps for the first time,” it said in a statement last week.
GNA