The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana, has served notice they will soon hit the streets to demand a downward review of the recent increases in the prices of petroleum products.
This the group says, is to ensure that government gives consumers a fair deal.
On Monday prices of petroleum products went up by between 18 to 27 percent and the increase was occasioned by the passage of the Energy Sector Levy (ESL) by Parliament in December 2015.
But consumers have questioned the increases citing a rather drastic drop in crude prices on the international market.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, General Secretary of the Chamber, Duncan Amoah, called on government to come clean on the new prices.
“We have a certain ultimatum that within the next seven days, government should ensure that it is either going to review, withdraw or come back to tell Ghanaians that perhaps they made a mistake mistake.They should tell us that they didn’t do a proper impact assessment of the levies or taxes on petroleum products, so they are coming back to do things right then we will have a clear mind as to the way forward. But in the absence of that, we will be forced to take to the streets to demonstrate against government.”
He added that, “Government must without delay do what they have to do to ensure that consumers get what is fair. We are not asking to get free fuel but what is fair ought to be descended to the consumer.”
With the latest increase of between 18 to 27 percent, a gallon of petrol is now GHC15.59 pesewas calculated at 3.465 liters and a gallon of diesel is GHc14.76 pesewas pegged at 3.281 liters.
Meanwhile transport unions are set to hold a meeting with government on Thursday to announce new transport fares.
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana