The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has raised the minimum price thresholds for petroleum products for the second pricing window of March 2026, effective from March 16, indicating possible increases in pump prices nationwide.
The updated minimum ex-pump prices reflect a significant increase in petrol, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas compared to the first pricing window of the month.
The price floor for petrol has risen to GHȼ11.57 per litre, up from GHȼ10.46 per litre recorded between March 1 and 15.
Diesel’s price floor has surged to GHȼ14.35 per litre from GHȼ11.42 per litre, while LPG has increased to GHȼ10.67 per kilogramme from the previous GHȼ9.38 per kilogramme.
These adjustments indicate increases of GHȼ1.11 for petrol, GHȼ2.93 for diesel, and GHȼ1.29 for LPG within the same month.
The modifications imply increasing pressure on fuel prices and may lead to higher pump prices in the second pricing window of March.
The price floors established by the NPA represent the minimum permissible selling price according to Ghana’s petroleum pricing regulations.
They do not represent the final pump prices that consumers will pay, as several cost factors are excluded from the price floor calculations.
Among the costs not included in the minimum price are premiums charged by International Oil Trading Companies, operating margins for Bulk Import, Distribution, and Export Companies, as well as the margins set by individual Oil Marketing Companies and dealers.
These additional expenses are generally added before the final pump prices are established at the retail level.
This development occurs at a time when analysts are forecasting increases in fuel prices for the second pricing window of March, primarily due to renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that have driven global crude oil prices higher.
