-As Transport Fares Are Set For A Hike
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has issued warnings that transportation fare would soon be increased in the next few days, following the government’s additional taxes that has sent fuel prices soaring.
Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) increased ex-pump prices from Sunday, September 1, 2019 following the National Petroleum Authority’s (NPA)’s order for them to include additional taxes called the Energy Sector Levies to their price build up.
These levies including the controversial Road Fund Levy, the never-ending Energy Debt Recovery Levy and the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy were increased by the Akufo Addo administration by a whopping 20 per cent.
This has already put pressure on petroleum prices as most petrol stations have increased pump prices by as much as GHC .50 per litre on diesel and petroleum. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is also skyrocketing out of the reach of average consumers.
The GPRTU says it has already notified the Transport Ministry about the planned increment of transportation fares. “We have already met with the Transport Minister about the increment. We visited the Minister but he was not available but if he comes we are going to meet and make sure that the new prices are released…There will definitely be an increment,” the Chairman of GPRTU, Kwame Kuma told Accra-based Citi FM in an interview today.
The decision to increase the taxes in the petroleum price build-up was contained in the supplementary budget presented to Parliament recently by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta. This is despite the fact that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) had vowed in opposition that it was going to cut down on taxes in petroleum taxes as soon as it is voted into power.
Transport fares were last increased by the GPRTU in April 2017 by 15 per cent. It is unclear what quantum of increment the GPRTU is considering, but insiders say it may go as high as a 20 per cent increase.