Increase in fuel marking margin: Government insensitive to plight of Ghanaians – MP

The deputy minority leader, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has berated the government over its decision to increase Fuel Marking Margin.

According to him, the move was totally unnecessary and will lead to substantial increment in the prices of fuel products.

In a series of tweets shared on Saturday, April 15, 2023, the deputy minority leader, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ellembele Constituency, added that the increase in the marking margin shows that the government does not care about the hardships ordinary Ghanaians are going through.

“The reported increase in fuel marking margins by the board of NPA, if true, is a clear example of a government that cares less about the excruciating hardships of its citizens.

“It is even worse when such an exercise is undertaken at a time when Ghanaians have already been compounded with burdensome taxes imposed by this same insensitive government in recent times.

“This is going to affect the prices of fuel at the pump which will unavoidably have cascading effects on other goods and services. The latest increment of the fuel marking margin is unjustified & must therefore be reversed forthwith,” the tweets he shared read.

Earlier, GhanaWeb reported that John Abdulai Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu, has revealed that Fuel Marking Margin (FMM) has been increased as at April 14, 2023.

In an April 14 post on his official Facebook timeline, he wrote: "The National Petroleum Authority has just increased the Fuel Marking Margin by a whopping 125%.

"Expect this to impact the price of fuel at the pump. The Akuffo-Addo/Bawumiah led government has completely lost it."

His post was accompanied by a letter from the NPA in which the Governing Board is said to have approved the increase of the FMM from 4 to 9 pesewas per litre to be implemented in the Price Build-Up (PBU).

The measure is expected to take place effective April 16 and it will affect all products from petrol, diesel, kerosene, kerosene mines, MGO local, premix fuel, MGO foreign, Gasoil Mines and Gasoil rigs.

View the MPs tweets below:

The reported increase in fuel marking margins by the board of NPA, if true, is a clear example of a government that cares less about the excruciating hardships of its citizens.

— Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (@ArmahKofiBuah) April 15, 2023

What is the justification for these increments?
This is going to affect the prices of fuel at the pump which will unavoidably have cascading effects on other goods and services.
The latest increment of the fuel marking margin is unjustified & must therefore be reversed forthwith pic.twitter.com/FBO7OHp8je

— Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (@ArmahKofiBuah) April 15, 2023