CBOD Blames NPA for Laycan Disruptions, Cites Presidential Directive Violation and $40m Losses to Industry
The Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD) has sharply criticised the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) over persistent disruptions to the country’s Laycan import schedule, warning that the regulatory breaches have undermined market stability and cost the industry over $40 million in demurrage and related charges during the first half of 2025.
In a strongly worded statement, CBOD said the repeated and arbitrary revisions to the fuel import timetable – developed through multi-stakeholder consultations and overseen by the NPA – had severely compromised operational predictability for Bulk Import, Distribution and Export Companies (BIDECs), distorting pricing and increasing costs for consumers.
“The Laycan schedule has been amended more than 11 times in the first two quarters of 2025 alone, without consultation with industry,” the CBOD stated. “Each revision affects up to ten cargoes, leading to cumulative delays of around 30 days per incident.”
The chamber estimates that the disruptions added between GHS 0.47 and GHS 0.60 per litre to retail fuel prices between January and May this year.
Regulatory Breakdown
More concerning, according to CBOD, is the growing number of vessels permitted to berth outside the official schedule under loosely defined “emergency” circumstances. The chamber said this practice has compromised transparency and breached protocol, culminating in the NPA’s authorisation on June 23 for the discharge of the MT Marlin Ametrine, a move CBOD says directly contravenes a presidential directive issued earlier in the month.
“This is a serious affront to regulatory integrity and undermines the progress made in recent years,” CBOD said, warning that such actions set a dangerous precedent for Ghana’s fuel import regime.
The Laycan framework, designed to ensure orderly and predictable petroleum imports, has become increasingly unstable, with the second-quarter schedule now extended into the third quarter, a move that CBOD says heightens uncertainty across the supply chain.
Political and External Interference Alleged
CBOD further alleges that some of the disruptions are being driven by Nigerian oil traders displaced by the operationalisation of the Dangote Refinery, who are now operating through politically connected intermediaries in Ghana.
“This represents a flagrant attempt to circumvent established protocols for narrow, selfish interests, to the detriment of national energy security and market stability,” the chamber warned.
Despite several petitions and proposals to restore discipline to the system, CBOD says its concerns have not been addressed by the NPA or the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, to which the President had directed immediate action following a formal petition from the chamber dated June 12.
Call to Action
CBOD says it will not remain silent while regulatory systems are weakened and national interests disregarded, as it demands the following immediate actions:
- BIDECs without officially assigned Laycans must be restricted. Entities responsible for disruptions must bear all associated financial penalties.
- Any emergency supply requirements must be transparently planned, scheduled in advance, and agreed upon collectively.
- CBOD must be formally empowered to coordinate and submit Laycan schedules to the NPA, ensuring transparency, compliance, and equitable access across the sector.
- Any changes to the Laycan schedule must follow prior consultation with the Laycan Review Committee.
