Energy expert and Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE), Mr. Ben Nsiah, has raised concerns about the pricing practices of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), suggesting they are not passing on the full benefits of falling international fuel prices to Ghanaian consumers.

Speaking during an interview on Class 91.3 FM’s morning show hosted by Kwame Dwumoh Agyemang, Mr. Nsiah referenced an analysis by the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), which projected an 8% drop in diesel prices and a 4% reduction in petrol prices.

However, OMCs only implemented a 2% reduction, sparking questions over pricing transparency.

“Based on COPEC’s data, prices at the pump should have gone down more significantly,” Mr. Nsiah said.

“OMCs are holding on to the rest of the margin, and they’re attributing the limited reduction to the pricing models of Bulk Oil Distributing Companies (BDCs).”

The energy expert noted that the lack of transparency from BDCs complicates efforts to hold any specific party accountable.

“If you ask the OMCs why the reductions are minimal, they point fingers at the BDCs.

But the BDCs don’t publish their pricing structures, so the consumer is left in the dark,” he added.

Mr. Nsiah called on the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to step in and ensure that BDCs publicly disclose their pricing regimes, just as OMCs are required to do.

He argued that this move would improve accountability and prevent pricing inconsistencies that ultimately disadvantage consumers.

“With more transparent pricing mechanisms, we can identify who is profiting unfairly in the supply chain and protect the interests of ordinary Ghanaians at the pump,” he emphasised.

He was of the view that consumers will see a further reduction in the month of June, per the next pricing window, he concluded