The government is set to suspend the GH¢1-per-litre Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy (D-Levy) on diesel for October and November.
The move means the government’s effective intervention on diesel will remain at GH¢2 per litre, although the composition of the intervention will change.
Under the new arrangement, the reduction in statutory margins will be lowered from GH¢2 to GH¢1 per litre, while the remaining GH¢1 will come from the suspension of the D-Levy.
Motorists will therefore continue to benefit from a total GH¢2-per-litre intervention on diesel—GH¢1 through reduced statutory margins and another GH¢1 through the suspension of the D-Levy.
The development comes at a time when fuel prices are projected to rise sharply during the first pricing window of October.
The D-Levy imposes a GH¢1 charge on every litre of diesel and petrol. It was introduced to help stabilise Ghana’s energy sector and address legacy debts, but has remained a subject of public debate.
The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) is projecting a 5.21% increase in petrol prices and a 22.91% rise in diesel prices from Thursday, October 1, 2026.
In a statement dated Tuesday, September 29, and signed by its Executive Secretary, Duncan Amoah, COPEC attributed the anticipated increases mainly to rising international petroleum prices and a marginal depreciation of the Ghana cedi against the US dollar.
The Chamber expects the average retail price of petrol to increase from GH¢16.90 to GH¢17.78 per litre, while diesel is projected to rise from GH¢18.24 to GH¢22.42 per litre.
LPG prices are also expected to increase to GH¢15.68 per kilogramme, following a 9.10% rise in the product’s international Free on Board (FOB) price.
COPEC said global crude oil prices rose sharply from $103.07 to $124 per barrel during the pricing window. At the same time, the cedi depreciated by about 1.20% against the US dollar, moving from an average interbank rate of GH¢11.4830 to GH¢11.6211.
The FOB price of petrol increased by 4.26%, from $1,251.07 to $1,304.39 per metric tonne. Based on the development, COPEC projects petrol prices to fall within a range of GH¢16.89 to GH¢18.67 per litre, representing a ±5% margin around its projection.
Diesel recorded a similar upward movement, with its FOB price rising from $1,404.73 to $1,524.22 per metric tonne, an increase of 8.51%. COPEC expects diesel pump prices to range between GH¢19.40 and GH¢21.44 per litre within the same margin.
For LPG, the international FOB price rose from $712.43 to $777.59 per metric tonne. COPEC therefore projects a retail price of GH¢15.68 per kilogramme, with prices expected to range between GH¢14.89 and GH¢16.48 per kilogramme.
The government’s decision to maintain the GH¢2-per-litre intervention on diesel is expected to cushion consumers from part of the projected increase in diesel prices, while shifting the source of the intervention from statutory margins to a temporary suspension of the D-Levy.
