The Institute for Energy Security (IES) has called on the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to strictly enforce its fuel price floor and price uniformity policies, warning that weak compliance is threatening the stability of Ghana’s downstream petroleum market.

The call follows recent market observations and an industry analysis published by the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC), which raised concerns about aggressive pricing practices among some oil marketing companies (OMCs).

According to IES, Ghana’s downstream petroleum market remains significantly over-licensed, with more than 229 registered oil marketing and liquefied petroleum gas marketing companies. The institute noted that at least 53 of these entities are non-operational yet retain active licences, a situation it says distorts competition, weakens regulatory discipline and fuels unsustainable price wars.

IES further expressed concern over ex-pump pricing behaviour observed during the second half of January 2026.

While the NPA-administered price floor for the period was set at GHS9.80 per litre for petrol and GHS10.47 per litre for diesel, the institute said some OMCs were offering prices dangerously close to the floor, with at least one instance of petrol reportedly sold below the approved minimum.

The institute described any pricing below the approved floor as a serious regulatory breach, arguing that such practices undermine the authority of the NPA, create unfair competitive advantages and raise concerns about possible tax and levy evasion within the sector.

IES in a statement issued on Sunday, January 25, 202,6 also raised concerns about selective discounting across retail networks, where lower prices are applied in competitive urban locations but not uniformly nationwide. It said this practice violates the NPA’s price uniformity policy and undermines the effectiveness of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF), which is intended to equalise fuel prices across the country.

According to the institute, selective discounting disproportionately benefits consumers in urban centres while consumers in less competitive or remote areas effectively pay higher prices despite contributing equally to the UPPF.

In response, IES is urging the NPA to investigate and sanction OMCs found to be pricing below the approved floor, enforce uniform pricing across retail networks and undertake a structural clean-up of dormant and non-compliant licences. It also called for enhanced monitoring at fuel retail outlets to ensure compliance between published and actual pump prices.

IES warned that without decisive enforcement and structural reforms, the downstream petroleum sector risks a “race to the bottom” characterised by regulatory breaches, financial instability and long-term harm to both consumers and compliant industry players.

The institute added that the continued operation of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund may need to be reconsidered if price uniformity cannot be enforced at the retail level, cautioning that persistent non-compliance could erode public confidence in Ghana’s fuel pricing framework.