Road tolls, transport fares to go up

Commuters must embrace themselves for an increase in transport fares next week. This is because, new road tolls will be announced which will leave the Ghana Road Transport Union (GPRTU) with no choice but to increase transport fares.

Already, some commercial drivers at Tema station, Accra, are threatening to take unilateral decision to increase transport fares because they say cost of vehicle spare parts have gone up, insurance is up and the DVLA has also increased fees for certification.

The possible increase in transport fares is in anticipation of an increase in road tolls expected to come in force early next week, the acting General Secretary of the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), Andrews Kwakye , has said in an interview with Citi FM.

He said: “The Transport Fare Review Committee met today with all the transport operators and we have resolved that since we are expecting a certain change in certain quarters, we will hold on for a week. We are anticipating that Road Tolls are about to be increased."

The drivers at Tema station say because of recent charges, they are unable to meet their daily sells to their car owners, a situation they say is causing tension between them and their car owners.

In spite of these, Mr. Kwakye is appealing to them to hold their horses for a conclusive decision to be arrived at.

“We are telling our drivers to still bare with us because we are working for them. I know buying at the current rate is affecting their income but it is better for us to wait and increase it once than to do another review after the tolls are increased,” he said.

The fuel increases were occasioned by the passage of the Energy Sector Levy, 2015 by Parliament last December.

It has also emerged that 70 percent of cost of fuel are just taxes.

Taxes on petrol per litre are Excise Duty, 2.78 pesewas per litre; Energy Debt Recovery Levy, 41 pesewas per litre; Road Fund Levy, 40 pesewas per litre; Energy Fund Levy, 1 pesewas per litre; Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levy, 12 pesewas per litre.

Other margins are Primary Distribution Margin, 4.5 pesewas per litre; BOST Margin, 3 pesewas per litre; and Fuel Marketing Margin, 1.5 pesewas per litre.

Each tax component and margins also attract 17.5% Value Added Tax (VAT), which the consumer also pays.For diesel, the tax components per litre are Excise Duty, 1.8 pesewas per litre; Energy debt recovery levy, 41 pesewas per litre; Road Fund Levy, 40 pesewas per litre; Energy Fund Levy, 1 pesewa per litre; Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levy, 10 pesewas per litre.

Energy Debt Recovery Levy of 41 pesewas per litre of petrol and diesel is said to be money that would go to buy fuel for the electricity sector.