As the prices of fuel keep increasing in Ghana, transport operators and vehicle owners have begun trooping in to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Togo to purchase fuel. A litre of petrol goes for an average of Ghc10.98 while diesel retails for around Ghc12 at the pumps.
This came to light when A1 Radio’s Kennedy Zongbil visited Pulimakom. The Pulimakom community is in the Pusiga District of the Upper East Region.
Despite the current security situation in these two West African countries, owners of vehicles and transport operators risk their lives to cross to terrorist prone Burkina Faso and Togo for fuel for their vehicles.
According to some vehicle operators who spoke on the condition of anonymity, fuel prices are relatively low in these two West African Countries which has compelled residents to abandon Ghana’s fuel and buy it from these countries to cut down cost. This allows them to stay in business and also make profit.
He noted that transport operators do not only go to fill their tanks but they buy additional fuel in storage tanks to keep their businesses running.
Despite several calls on the government by stakeholders to scrap some of what they describe as nuisance taxes placed on petroleum products, it appears the government is not paying heed.
Ghana started the year with prices per litre of fuel at Ghs 6.90ps from the initial Ghs 6.70ps in November 2021 but over the last five months, the product has seen not less than a 50 percent increase at the local pumps.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Kennedy Zongbil|Pulimakom|Ghana
