Diesel prices to drop in April 16 pricing window – COMAC

…as gov’t slashes levies to shield consumers

By Kingsley Webora TANKEH

The price of diesel at the pump is set to fall by up to 3.86 percent in the second pricing window of April 2026, following a government intervention that slashed statutory levies on the product by GH¢2 per litre.

The initiative is a preemptive response to rising global energy prices occasioned by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war, which sent petroleum prices off the roof.

Government’s intervention also affected petrol, where levies were slashed by a modest GHp36. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) saw no reduction in applicable levies. The most aggressive cut was applied to diesel.

The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) Pricing Outlook for the April 16 – 30 pricing window, said without this intervention, “all ex-pump prices would have increased more sharply for the pricing window.”

However, despite the intervention, COMAC stated that petrol and LPG will record marginal increases.

When the new prices take effect, a litre of diesel is projected to sell at a cash price of GH¢17.60, down from the average of GH¢17.66 in the previous window – a decline of 3.86 percent. On credit purchase terms, diesel is expected to retail at GH¢18.50.

Petrol, which saw a smaller levy adjustment, will rise by up to 3.01 percent to sell at about GH¢14.77 per litre, while LPG will inch up by 0.90 percent to GH¢15.85 per kilogram.

COMAC noted the reduction in diesel marks a rare divergence from global petroleum trends driven by what it described as a short-term burden-sharing arrangement between the state and downstream operators.

Diesel prices are expected to hike significantly on the international markets. The COMAC report said the coordinated downward revision of taxes, levies, and regulatory margins is designed “to cushion consumers against sharp increases in international petroleum prices.”

The COMAC data shows international diesel prices surged by 6.98 percent during the April 1 – 15 pricing window, climbing from US$1,305.98 per metric tonne to US$1,397.14 per metric tonne. Petrol and LPG rose by 2.77 percent and 9.38 percent respectively, on the world market.

COMAC emphasised that the coordinated intervention – the GH¢2 reduction – absorbed not only the global price hike but also the slight depreciation of the cedi, which weakened by 0.74 percent to 11.13 per dollar.

National consumption for January to February 2026, also contained in the report, indicate a 13.37 percent year-on-year jump in total petroleum demand, with LPG and diesel driving the growth amidst sustained economic activity.

The new prices will take effect from Thursday, April 16, 2026, and will remain in force until the end of the month, unless global crude prices force emergency adjustments.

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