The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the government to scrap or significantly reduce taxes and levies on petroleum products, warning that failure to act will force commercial transport operators to push for a nationwide increase in transport fares.
Samuel Amoah, Deputy Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU, issued the ultimatum during an interview on the AM Show on JoyNews, citing the latest fuel price adjustments and their impact on operators’ operations.
“We came up with this release and gave the government two days to do something about it,” Amoah said.
“If they fail to do what this increment can, then we have no option but to organise ourselves to request an increment of transport fares for our members.”
The ultimatum follows the National Petroleum Authority’s announcement of new ex-pump price floors for the first pricing window of April (April 1 to April 15), with petrol now at a minimum of GHS 13.30 per litre and diesel at GHS 17.10 per litre.
This marks a sharp increase from the previous window ending March 31, when the floors stood at GHS 11.57 for petrol and GHS 14.35 for diesel.
The surge in fuel prices has been driven primarily by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly following the United States’ launch of “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran on February 28, 2026. Retaliatory actions, including strikes and the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, have pushed global crude oil prices above $100 per barrel, recording an approximate 26% rise within the current pricing window.
Compounding the situation is the marginal depreciation of the Ghana cedi against the US dollar, with the interbank rate moving from around GHS 10.91 to GHS 11.05 per dollar.
Amoah highlighted additional cost pressures facing operators, including sharp increases in spare parts prices, higher insurance premiums for commercial vehicles, and elevated DVLA taxes and penalties.
He noted, for instance, that insurance premiums for printer buses have risen from GHS 933 to GHS 1,194 — an increase of over GHS 260 — while similar hikes have affected Toyota minibuses, moving from GHS 837 to GHS 995. Penalties for late insurance renewal have also more than doubled.
The union indicated it would convene an internal meeting to evaluate the full impact and prepare a formal proposal for fare adjustment to be submitted to the Ministry of Transport. However, Amoah stressed that the ultimate decision on whether fares increase rests largely on government action regarding fuel taxes and levies.
“What the government, the president is saying is something they can’t control right now, but the transport operators may be forced to,” he explained.