The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), a pro-opposition pressure and advocacy group, wants government to reduce fuel prices immediately or risk facing a blitzkrieg of “aggressive and inordinate choice of words”.
The group wants government to openly tell Ghanaians how much has been recovered for the BDCs since crude oil begun declining at the beginning of 2014
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA’s) upward reviews in the prices of petroleum products are usually influenced by the rising price of crude oil on the international market.
The trend on the global market has reversed but the NPA says government cannot risk following that path.
Consequently, on Monday, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in a statement demanded an immediate reduction in fuel prices. According to the NPP, the government’s refusal to reduce the prices of petroleum products to reflect the price of crude oil on the world market is “inconsiderate.”
But in response, the NPA said it will not reduce petroleum prices because it is taking advantage of the price drop to save money to defray the debt owed Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs).
The price of crude oil on the international market has slide down from $114 from the middle of June 2014 to $55 a barrel as at Tuesday.
Yet Petrol continues to sell at 3 cedis 39 pesewas per litre, Diesel at 3 cedis 30 pesewas, Kerosene at 3 cedis 25 pesewas and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) for 2 cedis 94 pesewas per kilogram.
AFAG, in a statement issued today, wondered why government has abandoned the Automatic Adjustment Formula and warned that failure to reduce fuel prices could result in aggressive and inordinate choice of words being used against government.
"If you run down TOR to enable your cronies to run OMCs and BDCs why on earth must Ghanaians be made to suffer to keep you and your allies in business?
TOR is now a ghost land...Our position is clear; let the fuel prices drop now else, be responsible for the aggressive and inordinate choice of words against you. You can oppress us but you cannot suppress our expressions," AFAG said.
Read the full statement below
Cut the Illogic & Reduce Fuel Prices NOW
While Ghanaians continue to wallow in abject poverty, the highly mismanaged government of president Mahama continues to derail our democratic efforts by sending Ghana miles backwards. For the first time, a sitting President of an African country (President Mugabe of Zimbabwe) has taken Ghana to the cleaners.
As we speak, the British government and the European Union have withheld support to Ghana on account of high levels of unprecedented corruption under president Mahama. What is left of the president is to involve himself in unnecessary international trips to enhance his tarnished reputation. Interestingly, the more he attempts to repair his image, the more his indiscipline cronies soil his parochial serving efforts.
This can be confirmed by among others, the recent Ruby Adu Gyamfi cocaine saga, the indiscretion of government to fly $3.5Million to Black Star players in Brazil, and the inability to secure international loans amidst low credit rating of Ghana's economy.
Under duress, the President latest move is to use state agencies for international loans such as the Ghc700 million loan been secured for the state through GNPC.
Mr. President you have failed to secure the welfare of Ghanaians. You have deepened poverty beyond the ordinary. Indeed, Ghanaians are now been oppressed by you. Very soon the extent of suppression may unveil an era of rampant use of intemperate choice of words against you. If persuasion fails to get you to do the right thing, we are afraid we of AFAG will throw away decency and say it as we feel. We will not support military coup as is feared by your security coordinator, General Nunoo Mensah but we can express and take you to the cleaners with pain and in anger.
Mr. President why has fuel prices not been reduced? How much have been recovered for the BDCs since crude oil begun declining at the beginning of 2014? In 2008 when fuel prices soared to as high as $145 per barrel and declined in December, your NDC led opposition made Ghanaians to understand it was outrageous and unthinkable. In this regard sufficient pressure was brought to bear on the Kufour led government to reduce fuel to reflect the situation. Fuel prices decreased from Ghc5.20 a gallon to Ghc3.80 a gallon. Even that you said it was not a significant decrease. Was that regime a listening one? Or yours is more sensible with an offensive and legendary 2% reduction?
Mr. President, Why have you abandoned the Automatic Adjustment Formula? If you run down TOR to enable your cronies to run OMCs and BDCs why on earth must Ghanaians be made to suffer to keep you and your allies in business?
TOR is now a ghost land; A very sad situation in the life of a company that used to be vibrant and a source of employment to hundreds of Ghanaians. Our position is clear; let the fuel prices drop now else, be responsible for the aggressive and inordinate choice of words against you. You can oppress us but you cannot suppress our expressions.
AFAG LEADERSHIP
Source/ agooeast.com
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