General News of Thursday, 1 January 2015
Source: citifmonline.com
A former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), John Attafuah, has described as woefully inadequate, the 10 per cent reduction in fuel prices.
He was of the view that the reduction should have been pegged at 20% and not 10%.
The NPA on Wednesday announced a 10 per cent reduction in fuel prices following the drop in crude oil price on the world market.
This comes on the back of intense pressure from Civil Society Organisations, the general public and some political parties who were demanding an immediate review of petroleum prices to reflect the crude oil prices on the world market.
The NPA explained that it owes the Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs) huge sums of money hence, the delay in the downward review of petroleum prices.
Speaking to Citi News however, Mr. Attafuah said the NPA should consider a further reduction saying, “with about 20%, I can live with it considering that the government owes the BDCs and it wants to use that to pay.”
“The question is how much do we owe and how much have we paid to date? We don’t know so there are so many unknowns. NPA assured us that they will not reduce, so what changed? They assured that they are not going to change any prices, notwithstanding what happens at the world market so what has prompted this?” the former NPA boss asked.
He pleaded with the NPA to have “sympathy on Ghanaians and and give us some further reduction…I don’t think that this is the best they can do.”
Meanwhile, the Ghana Private Roads Transport Union (GPRTU) has announced that it will meet to review the prices of transport fares on January 7, 2015.