A civic pressure group, Community Eye, has raised concerns over what it describes as unjustifiably high fuel prices at GOIL filling stations across the country, urging the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to act swiftly to address the growing issue.
In a letter addressed to the NPA’s Chief Executive Officer, Edudzi Tamakloe, the group’s Founder and Convener, Ismail Imran, questioned why GOIL—a state-owned Oil Marketing Company (OMC) with distinct operational advantages—continues to sell fuel at higher prices compared to several private competitors.
“It is puzzling,” Imran wrote, “considering that GOIL enjoys exemptions from certain taxes and operational licenses, as well as a wider distribution network that should reduce operational costs.” Yet, he notes, companies such as Benab Oil, Star Oil, Kinship Oil, Amser Oil, and Puma Oil are consistently offering lower prices at the pump.
Community Eye emphasised that GOIL was originally established to lead the market in competitive pricing and serve as a price benchmark for the petroleum sector, helping to stabilise the cost of transportation and other essentials. According to the group, that mandate appears to be slipping.
Transport unions such as the GRTU and PROTOA have also reportedly expressed discontent with GOIL’s current pricing regime, opting instead for cheaper private alternatives.
The letter urged the NPA and GOIL management to undertake a “strategic review and reset” of GOIL’s pricing model to better reflect its market advantages and realign with its public service mission.
“A pricing realignment would not only restore public trust but also have broader benefits—reducing lorry fares, commodity prices, and easing the cost of living,” Imran stated.
—citinewsroom
