The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has sought to ease public concerns about possible fuel shortages, reassuring citizens that Ghana maintains sufficient petroleum reserves despite rising tensions in the Middle East. In an interview with JoyNews on Sunday, March 1, Abass Ibrahim Tasunti, Director of Economic Regulation and Planning at the NPA, emphasised that the country’s fuel stocks remain stable and secure.
“As of last Friday, we have diesel stocks to last us over five weeks. Roughly, it will last us up to 5.3 weeks. And then for petrol, we have almost 6.8 weeks to last,” Mr Tasunti said. He clarified that these stock levels are not a reaction to the ongoing crisis but form part of the Authority’s routine mandate to guarantee uninterrupted fuel supply.
“Even without this war, we always ensure that we have a plan to make petroleum products available for consumers in the country. So this is not something that is being done because of the war, but it is something we do regularly. It is one of NPA’s major mandates,” he explained.
Mr. Tasunti explained that the Authority manages the daily discharge of imported petroleum products, with local production helping to bolster supply. He highlighted that the Sentuo Oil Refinery has been operating consistently since June 2025, delivering petroleum products to the market, while the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant continues to produce and distribute liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). He further disclosed that several vessels are currently anchored at Tema awaiting discharge, including two carrying diesel and two carrying petrol, with additional imports already scheduled. While assuring the public of a stable supply, the NPA acknowledged that Ghana’s reliance as a net importer of petroleum products means the country remains exposed to global oil market disruptions.
In a related development, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has also warned that ongoing hostilities in the Middle East could affect pricing in the coming weeks. Executive Secretary Duncan Amoah cautioned that traders are already factoring geopolitical risks into future cargo pricing decisions. “If I was a trader and I woke up tomorrow to have to put stock on the market, I would definitely bear in mind the fact that these hostilities or tensions prevailing within the Middle East could affect the next cargo consignment that I get down here,” he stated. His comments follow a surge in global crude prices to above $91 per barrel after disruptions linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route. Source: Evans Effah
