Passengers to pay more as lorry fares as fuel price increment takes effect

Adnan Adams Mohammed

Public transport passengers are to prepare for a possible increase in lorry fares following the announced increment in the Energy Sector Levy which took effective last Friday.

During the presentation of the 2019 mid-year budget review to parliament, last week, the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta announced increment in the levy with the view to raising the needed revenue to pay off the energy sector debt.

Using the percentage of increment as announced, petrol and diesel prices are to go up by almost GH¢1.00 per gallon, while liquefied petroleum gas moves up by almost GH¢1.40 as at last week Friday following the approval of the mid-year review budget by parliament.

“Government proposes to increase the Energy Sector Levies by 20 pesewas per litre for petrol and diesel and 8 pesewas per kg of LPG, so as to increase the inflows to enable government issue additional bonds to pay down our energy sector debt obligations,” the minister announced.

Many Ghanaians have criticised the government for the increment, which according to the minority in parliament will make the already suffering Ghanaian worse off.

They argued that, the increment announced on petroleum products will have consequential effects on other sectors of the economy, particularly the transport and food sector.

On the back of the announced increment, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) say the executives will meet with other transport unions and stakeholders to determine new transport fares.

“We all have to meet because it is not only GPRTU that determines transport fares. We do it with other stakeholders,” National Vice Chairman of GPRTU, Robert Sarbah has said.

He explained that where the increment is over 10 per cent, they have the room to increase transport fares, adding “we shall add the previous increment [to the new one] and if it’s up to 10%, we shall increase lorry fares which will affect the economy.