Some drivers have expressed their displeasure over the increase in fuel prices for the second pricing window in September.
Checks by Citi Business News at some fuel pumps on Monday evening [September 17, 2018] showed that Shell had increased its prices. A litre of diesel and petrol are being sold at 5 cedis 18 pesewas and 5 cedis 14 pesewas respectively.
Citi Business News’ Nana Oye Ankrah who visited other major Oil Marketing Companies however reported that Total and Goil were yet to adjust their prices. For the two OMCs, a litre of diesel as at Monday evening sold at 4 cedis 94 pesewas while a litre of petrol sold at 4 cedis 90 pesewas.
Meanwhile, some commercial drivers who shared their frustration with Citi Business News contemplated increasing their fares to make up for the increase in fuel prices.
“I am a taxi driver and work on commission, for this increase in price, I am wondering how much I can afford and how I will translate that into possible increase in transport fares,” one driver lamented.
Another remarked, “Fuel prices obviously affect every product that we buy; be it gari or sugar but a lot of people seem to be quite about it. Even the media houses, a lot of them do not talk about it.”
Yet a third driver who was obviously overwhelmed by the development said, “It’s just not the best but again, we cannot complain because there is little we can do as consumers.”
The Institute of Energy Security (IES) predicted the rise in fuel prices to the 5 cedis mark from September 16 to September 30.
According to the IES, issues of the persistent depreciation of the cedi coupled with increase in final products of gasoil and gasoline, contributed to the upward adjustments at the various pumps.
Source: citibusinessnews.com
