The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has directed all Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to halt selective fuel discounts and enforce uniform pricing across all their outlets nationwide.
This directive, the NPA says, must be implemented from March 16, 2026.
The decision of the downstream regulator follows weeks of sustained reporting by The High Street Journal, highlighting concerns that selective discounts offered by some OMCs were inconsistent with Ghana’s Unified Petroleum Pricing Policy and the Pricing Guidelines.
From Concern to Regulatory Action
The High Street Journal first reported concerns raised by former Power Minister Dr. Kwabena Donkor, who petitioned the NPA over what he described as discriminatory pricing practices.
The petition detailed how some OMCs were offering discounts at selected urban outlets while maintaining higher prices at other stations within the same network. Dr. Donkor argued that such practices undermined the spirit of the unified pricing regime of the NPA.
He added that it also potentially disadvantages consumers in rural and peri-urban communities. The High Street Journal further examined inconsistencies within the pricing guidelines themselves, pointing to tensions between deregulation principles and the legal requirement for uniformity.
Days after the first report on the petition, sources told The High Street Journal that the NPA was reviewing the unified pricing policies vis-à-vis the selective discounts of the OMCs.
NPA Closes the Gap
In its latest directive, the NPA has now clarified that all OMCs must apply the same approved ex-pump price across their entire retail networks. No outlet-level discounting will be permitted starting from March 16.
The regulator’s move effectively closes what critics described as a loophole that allowed differential pricing under a system meant to guarantee nationwide parity.
Selective discounting may appear beneficial at first glance. However, analysts say it can distort competition, weaken smaller dealers, and create regional imbalances if left unchecked.
