The Institute for Energy Security (IES) has called on the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to strictly enforce the petroleum price floor and price uniformity policies, warning that weak compliance is undermining the integrity and sustainability of Ghana’s downstream petroleum market.

In a statement issued in Accra on Sunday, IES said recent market observations, supported by an industry article released by the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC), revealed deepening structural and regulatory challenges within the sector.

According to IES, Ghana’s downstream petroleum market remained significantly over-licensed, with more than 229 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketing Companies (LPGMCs), many of which were either dormant or persistently non-compliant.

The think tank noted that at least 53 non-operational entities still retain active licences, weakening regulatory discipline and distorting competition.

IES further expressed concern over ex-pump pricing behaviour in the current January 16–31, 2026 pricing window, where the NPA-administered floor prices stand at GH¢9.80 per litre for petrol and GH¢10.47 per litre for diesel.

While some OMCs are pricing above the floor, others are reportedly selling dangerously close to, or marginally below, the approved floor, which the institute described as a direct breach of policy.

“Any pricing below the floor, however marginal, constitutes a serious regulatory violation,” IES stated, adding that such practices undermine the authority of the NPA, create unfair competitive advantages, and may signal tax and levy evasion.

The institute also criticised selective discounting across OMC retail networks, arguing that the practice violates the Price Uniformity Policy and weakens the effectiveness of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF).

According to IES, selective discounting disproportionately benefits consumers in competitive urban centres, while consumers in less competitive or remote areas, who are intended beneficiaries of the UPPF, end up paying higher prices despite contributing equally to the fund.

As part of its recommendations, IES urged the NPA to intensify retail-level monitoring, sanction OMCs found pricing below the floor, enforce uniform pricing across retail networks, and undertake a structural clean-up of the licensing regime by withdrawing dormant licences.

IES warned that without firm enforcement and regulatory discipline, the downstream petroleum market risks sliding into what it described as a “destructive race to the bottom,” characterised by non-compliance, fiscal leakages, and long-term harm to both consumers and compliant industry players.