President Nana Akufo-Addo
PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO has granted approval to zero the price stabilisation and recovery levies (PSRL) on petrol, diesel and LPG for a period of two months.
The President’s approval follows an advice of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to the Minister of Energy to seek government’s intervention to mitigate the impact of rising prices of petroleum products on the world market on consumers.
According to the NPA, prices of crude oil and refined petroleum products have seen sharp increases on the world market due to a rise in demand of oil globally without a corresponding increase in supply, particularly from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies.
It continued that because the pricing of petroleum products in Ghana was deregulated, changes in prices of petroleum products on the world market had a direct impact on prices at the pumps.
“The outlook of prices on the global market shows an upward trend and therefore there was the need to seek government’s intervention to lower the levies to cushion consumers from feeling the full impact of these rising prices.
“The purpose of the Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levy (PSRL) is to stabilise prices for consumers and pay for the subsidies on Premix Fuel and Residual Fuel Oil (RFO).
“At this time, it is important that the PSRL, which is currently sixteen pesewas per litre (GHp16/Lt) on petrol, fourteen pesewas per litre (GHp14/Lt) on diesel, and fourteen pesewas per kilogramme (GHp14/Kg) on LPG, are zeroed to cushion consumers,” the NPA noted.
The NPA has therefore assured that it would work with the Ministries of Energy and Finance to quicken the legislative processes to give immediate effect to this directive by the President.
“We are grateful to H.E. the President for granting the request to zero these levies to minimise the effect of rising prices of petroleum products on the world market on consumers in Ghana,” it stressed.