Managements of fuel stations create artificial shortage

Cape Coast, Nov. 3, GNA - Managements of most filling stations in and around Cape Coast Metropolis have since Sunday posted "no petrol" signs on their premises, resulting in the shortage of fuel in the area. Since the announcement of the reduction in fuel prices on Saturday, only the management of SHELL station near the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) office in Cape Coast, has been selling both diesel and petrol to motorists at the new prices, with the rest selling only diesel.

It would be recalled that the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) announced a 10.02 per cent reduction in petrol and 8.46 per cent reduction in diesel.

When GNA visited some stations on Monday, it observed that there was a long queue at SHELL filling station, because of the situation, and inquiries made indicated that it was selling its old stock of petroleum products at the new prices.

At the TOTAL filling station at Pedu Junction, an attendant said there was no petrol, but optimistic would get new supplies during the afternoon.

The story was the same at the STC, Abease and Siwudu Goil stations, Bakaano and Kingsway TOTAL stations, Glory Oil station near University of Cape Coast and Ayikoo-Ayikoo SHELL station. Many of the drivers, most of them commercial, told GNA that they suspected there was petrol at the stations, but since Sunday all efforts to get petrol for their vehicles had proved futile. They wondered why managements of filling stations immediately changed the prices on their indicators without complaining when fuel prices were increased, but failed to do so, when prices were adjusted downwards.

The drivers appealed to managements of the filling stations not to hoard their products but sell them since it was not likely therefore would be further increases in prices.