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In justifying the fuel price increment, the Public Relations Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Yaro Kasambata has explained that the level of fuel consumption in the country is a contributor to the cause of the fuel price hike.

According to him, the country’s fuel consumption level over the last 10 years indicates that Ghana is growing with a lot of cars on the road and is full of economic activities to match the demand of fuel to do things in the country.

Speaking on Okay Fm’s "Ade Akye Abia" Morning Show, Yaro Kasambata revealed that with petrol only, Ghanaians consume 120 million litres every month while diesel consumption is 160 million litres monthly.

He maintained that with these amounts of fuel consumption monthly, it results in even 1 Pesewa increase in the fuel price accumulating huge sums of money; emphasizing that “the high level of fuel consumption is making it difficult to maintain fuel price due to how we have grown. As we are today, we were not the same in 10 years ago”.

He however outlined three factors as the main cause of the fuel price increases, naming one cause to be the price of crude oil and the price of the world market refined petrol. He added that between mid Februarys to May 17, prices of crude oil and refined product on the world market have gone up.

He mentioned that crude oil only went up by 34 percent, petrol by 37 percent, diesel went up by 36 percent and with LPG, it went up by 43 percent; slating that with these increases, Ghana cannot maintain or reduce fuel prices.

With the second cause of fuel price increase, Yaro Kasambata blames it on the depreciation of the cedi against the dollar, indicating that between mid Februarys and now, the cedi has depreciated against the dollar as this has affected the price of fuel.

He mentioned thirdly that the policy of full cost recovery to make the price of crude oil in the world market to match the price of Ghana is another to factor which has contributed to the fuel price increases.

He bemoaned that as the NPA maintained the fuel price between the mid February to May 17, there has been a debt of Gh¢146 million and so without these increases in fuel price the authority cannot get letters of credit to buy fuel and as such there will be a shortage in the country.

Commenting on the current price of crude oil in the world market, Yaro Kasambata revealed it is $64.32 dollars per barrel. He however failed to comment on whether the current price of crude in comparison with Kufuor’s era where it was sold for $147 per barrel merit the current fuel price with the excuse that he is not a politician.