The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) has urged the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to implement progressive, data-driven regulation that enforces standards, sanctions violators, and promotes fair competition in Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.

In a statement issued on Thursday, January 22, 2026, ACEP reiterated its opposition to the NPA’s price floor directive, first introduced in April 2024, describing the policy as a response to regulatory failure rather than a solution to persistent sector challenges.

ACEP argued that the price floor rewards inefficiency, discourages competition, and drives up fuel costs for consumers, disproportionately benefiting weaker Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and Bulk Importers and Distributors of Energy Commodities (BIDECs) struggling to compete in the market.

The centre highlighted that structural inefficiencies remain entrenched, with 15% of OMCs supplying nearly 90% of the market, while over 160 smaller OMCs account for just 10%.

According to ACEP, the price floor does little to address critical issues such as illicit and substandard petroleum products, tax revenue losses, excessive levies on consumers, or anti-competitive practices, including price undercutting.

The centre also criticised the NPA for failing to implement targeted enforcement despite acknowledging unethical practices in the sector. It warned that the Authority’s broad protectionist measures sustain inefficiency and expose consumers to higher costs.

Highlighting ongoing price wars among OMCs, ACEP stressed that without data-driven regulation focused on accountability and fair competition, the downstream petroleum sector risks continued instability, rising fuel prices, and diminished consumer trust.

ACEP called on the NPA to move beyond protectionist policies, emphasising that enforcing standards, sanctioning violators, and fostering competition would improve market efficiency while safeguarding consumers.