Hot SourceThe Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD) has expressed deep concern and disappointment over the persistent disruption of the Laycan import programme, calling on the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition to act swiftly to safeguard the integrity of Ghana’s fuel import system.
The Laycan schedule, developed through extensive stakeholder consultations and published by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), serves as a framework for the efficient and orderly importation of petroleum products. However, in 2025 alone, this schedule has been revised more than four times in the first quarter and amended seven times in the second quarter, changes CBOD describes as arbitrary and carried out without industry consultation.
According to CBOD, these frequent and unilateral alterations have severely undermined operational predictability and imposed significant financial burdens on Bulk Import, Distribution, and Export Companies (BIDECs). Each revision affects up to ten cargoes, resulting in cumulative delays of approximately 30 days per incident. Between January and June 2025, BIDECs incurred over US$40 million in demurrage and other associated costs, expenses which have unfortunately been passed on to consumers through higher fuel prices at the pump.
More alarming to the Chamber is the increasing violation and repeated breach of the Laycan protocol. BIDECs without assigned slots, often citing vaguely defined “emergency” needs, have been permitted to berth outside the established schedule. This practice, CBOD warns, compromises transparency and fairness in the sector.
For the first time, the second-quarter Laycan schedule has been extended into the third quarter, up to September 2025, further escalating uncertainty within the industry.
Despite CBOD’s engagements and repeated proposals to the NPA aimed at restoring order and accountability, no concrete action has been taken. According to the Chamber, the situation remains deteriorating.
In a formal petition dated June 12, 2025, CBOD highlighted the damaging impact of these disruptions on price stability and operational efficiency, submitting it to the Presidency. Following this, President John Dramani Mahama instructed the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition to take immediate action.
However, on 23 June 2025, the NPA authorised the berthing and discharge of the vessel MT Marlin Ametrine, directly contravening the official Laycan schedule and the President’s directive. CBOD has described this as a serious affront to regulatory integrity and a move that threatens to delegitimise the entire scheduling framework on which Ghana’s fuel security depends.
CBOD investigations further suggest that this operation is being facilitated by a group of Nigerian traders, recently displaced by the Dangote Oil Refinery, allegedly operating through politically connected intermediaries in Ghana. The Chamber views this as a flagrant attempt to circumvent established protocols for the sake of narrow, selfish interests, to the detriment of national energy security and market stability.
Each unauthorised berthing introduces logistical confusion, increases demurrage costs, and distorts fuel pricing. CBOD estimates that Laycan-related inefficiencies have contributed between GHC 0.47 and GHC 0.60 per litre to fuel price increases between January and May 2025. These, the Chamber stressed, are unfair and avoidable costs borne by Ghanaian consumers.
The Chamber has outlined a series of immediate demands to address the current crisis, including that BIDECs without officially assigned Laycans must be restricted, and entities responsible for disruptions must bear all associated financial penalties and any changes to the Laycan schedule must involve prior consultation with the Laycan Review Committee.
Additionally, Emergency supply requirements must be transparently planned, scheduled in advance, and collectively agreed upon. The CBOD must be formally empowered to coordinate and submit Laycan schedules to the NPA, ensuring transparency, compliance, and equitable access across the sector.
Dr Patrick Kwaku Ofori, Chief Executive Officer of CBOD, affirmed the Chamber’s commitment to protecting Ghana’s fuel supply security and maintaining a competitive, rules-based petroleum import system that serves the interests of the Ghanaian public. However, he warned that continued regulatory inconsistency threatens operational stability, undermines investor confidence, and pushes fuel prices even higher.
“We urge the Ministry of Energy and the NPA to act decisively, fairly, and without delay,” Dr Ofori said.
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