Is there a shortage of fuel?

Parts of the country is reportedly having to deal with a shortage in the supply of fuel to power their vehicles since last week, as fuel attendants keep turning them away insisting there is no fuel. One of the regions people have been mostly affected is Accra.

Though the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on Friday denied the shortage of fuel in Accra and some parts of the country, claiming the situation arose due to the late arrival of some personnel at the depot from the Christmas break, however, the commodity is still in short supply.

Public Relations officer for the NPA, Yaro Kasambata in an interview with Radio Gold on Friday said the problem would be rectified same day (Friday).

“We have some in stock; this situation is due to the independent schedules run by some of these depots, whose personnel have to go on holidays, and that’s what affected the product on the market. The situation should be over by Friday,” he explained.

However, a visit to some fuel stations in the capital city of Accra on Sunday (two days after the NPA PRO statement) prove otherwise, as attendants keep turning away customers; majority of whom are commercial drivers, due to shortage of fuel.

It is, however, not clear if there is indeed a shortage of the commodity or the fuel stations are deliberately creating an artificial shortage to influence a price hike as suggested by many commuters that we spoke to.

In an interview with one pump attendant at Achimota, he disclosed that they do not have the commodity in store and are still trying to get some from the National Petroleum Authority, contrary to what the NPA's Yaro Kasambata has been telling the media.

A taxi driver at the Achimota taxi rank lamented the effect it was having on business saying “this is not the first time they are doing this, they only do it when they want to increase the price of fuel... the fuel stations, because they know what is happening, will keep what they have so that when the prices are increased they sell the old one in store at the new prices to make profit whiles we suffer”.

So now we ask, IS THERE A SHORTAGE OF FUEL?