Motorists and other fuel users are likely to pay slightly more at the pumps from Tuesday, September 1, 2026, as petroleum prices are projected to rise in the first pricing window of the month, according to the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC).
COPEC's analysis forecasts marginal increases across petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), attributing the expected adjustments largely to movements in international petroleum product prices, despite a recent appreciation of the Ghana cedi against the US dollar.
Projected Prices
According to COPEC's projections, petrol could rise to an average pump price of about GH¢16.21 per litre, representing an estimated 5 percent increase over the current mean price of GH¢15.43 per litre. The chamber expects petrol prices to range between GH¢15.40 and GH¢17.02 per litre, within a margin of plus or minus 5 percent of its projection.
Diesel is projected to rise to around GH¢17.61 per litre, up from the current mean price of GH¢17.17, an increase of approximately 2.58 percent. COPEC expects diesel to trade between GH¢16.73 and GH¢18.49 per litre within a similar margin.
LPG users are also expected to see a marginal rise, with COPEC projecting an average price of GH¢14.19 per kilogramme for the next pricing window.
Why Prices Are Rising Despite a Stronger Cedi
The projected increases come despite two developments that would ordinarily ease pressure on pump prices: a stronger cedi and a marginal dip in global crude oil prices. COPEC noted that the cedi strengthened by about 2.39 percent during the current pricing window, while crude oil prices slipped slightly from US$90.41 to US$89.30 per barrel.
However, COPEC explained that movements in the Free-On-Board (FOB) prices of refined petroleum products are expected to outweigh the benefits of the stronger currency and lower crude prices. For petrol specifically, the international FOB price rose sharply, climbing about 10 percent from US$1,033.15 to US$1,136.50 per metric tonne, which is the primary driver behind the anticipated increase at the pumps.
Government Cushion and Regulatory Signals
COPEC has urged government to extend its fuel subsidy beyond August and called on Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to hold diesel prices steady where possible to cushion consumers. Government has since extended its GH¢2 per litre diesel relief measure into September, a move expected to soften the impact of the diesel price adjustment.
Separately, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has raised the fuel price floor for the September 1–16 pricing window, a signal that OMCs are likely to adjust prices upward across the country in line with the new projections.
The final pump prices will depend on the specific rates set by individual OMCs when the new pricing window opens, but COPEC's projections point to a modest but noticeable rise in fuel costs for Ghanaian consumers as September begins.
MAKKINN NEWS — Reporting Ghana's economy as it happens.