National Petroleum Authority must scrap zonalisation policy – COMAC

The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) has called on the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to scrap its zonalisation policy, which restricts oil marketing companies to lifting fuel only from designated depots.

COMAC CEO Dr. Riverson Oppong argued that this temporary measure has outlived its usefulness and now makes little economic sense, forcing inefficient fuel transfers and increasing prices.

He noted that the policy prevents companies from distributing fuel directly across the country and leads to inconsistent pricing, while BOST continues to charge a Primary Distribution Margin regardless of the fuel’s route.

Oppong believes canceling the policy would reduce fuel costs, address shortages, and enable more efficient transport methods such as pipelines instead of relying solely on road vehicles. The issue was discussed at the Downstream Dialogue 2025 programme.