Transport fares to go up soon – GPRTU

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has hinted of a possible increase in transportation fares, following the recent hikes in fuel prices.

Prices of petroleum products went up on Monday after the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) directed the Oil Marketing Companies to start applying the revised Energy Sector Levies.

In an interview with Citi News, Chairman of GPRTU, Kwame Kuma noted that the new transport fares will soon be made public.

“We have already met with the Transport Minister about the increment. We visited the Minister but he was not available but if he comes we are going to meet and make sure that the new prices are released…There will definitely be an increment,” he said.

The NPA’s directive is as announced in the Supplementary Budget presented by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Attah.

The increase is as a result of the Road Fund Levy, Energy Debt Recovery Levy, as well as the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy increased up by about 20 percent.

Transport fares were last increased by the GPRTU in April 2017 by 15 percent.

The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) unsuccessfully petitioned the Speaker of Parliament over the ESLA increments to get him to stop the passage by legislators.

COPEC in its petition said the “current fuel price increase is coming at the wrong time.”

COPEC said it will go on a protest if the petition or dialogue fails.

COPEC’s Executive Secretary, Duncan Amoah said:

“We will resort to some initial dialogue to ensure that whatever he [the Finance Minister] is proposing. Either Members of Parliament will reject it or not allow it to materialise. But if they still insist or push forward, we will not go on a demonstration, we will go on a sleepover,” he added.

Source: citinewsroom.com