Accra Taxi drivers protest high prices of petroleum products

Scores of taxi drivers yesterday took to the streets in Accra to protest against the decision by the government not to reduce the prices of petroleum products, although crude oil prices on the world market have fallen to a five-year low.

The demonstration, which was under the umbrella of the “Ghana Committed Taxi Drivers”, was dubbed, “Obiaa Ho Wom Demonstration”.

Clad in red attire and carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Mahama, Yε brε. We are waiting for 2016”, “Mahama, reduce the fuel prices”, “Drivers abrε”, among others, the protesters marched through some principal streets of Accra.

Double standards

The drivers said the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) had always increased prices of petroleum products in line with incrementst in world prices of crude oil but had refused to reduce them when crude prices fell on the international market.

The march ended at the Hearts Park, where the Chairman of the Taxi Drivers Association, Mr Charles Danso, addressed the demonstrators.

He said with the drop in the world prices of crude, it was expected that the NPA would also reduce petroleum prices in Ghana, just as it increased petroleum prices whenever crude prices went up on the world market.

He implored the government to not be insensitive to the plight of taxi drivers and reduce the prices of petroleum products to give Ghanaians a reprieve.

Reaction

Reaction to the protesters’ call for a reduction in the prices of petroleum products, the Public Relations Manager of the NPA, Mr Yaro Kasambata, explained that the decision of the NPA not to reduce petroleum prices, despite the drop in world crude prices, had been occasioned by a GH¢412 million debt owed by the government to the bulk distribution companies (BDCs).

That debt, he said, had been incurred because of under-recoveries which occurred when the government did not increase petroleum prices to reflect world market prices in the past.

To ensure constant supply of fuel in the country, Mr Kasambata explained, that the debt had to be settled, saying the drop in world crude prices provided an opportunity to harvest the windfall to pay the debt owed the BDCs.

However, he said the concerns of the taxi drivers had been noted and that the NPA would consider them.