Ghanaians are to brace themselves for an increase in public transport fares as the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) considers a 30% hike.

Addressing the media on Thursday, September 3, the Deputy Industrial and Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU, Samuel Amoah, disclosed that the proposed increase is intended to cushion the union against rising fuel prices and other operating costs, including spare parts, lubricants, insurance, and taxes.

Although he added that the 30% figure is subject to negotiations with the government and could be reduced, he emphasised that an adjustment in fares is inevitable in the coming days.

“It’s likely it might come down. But for the increment not to happen, they would have to reduce the fuel price and the other components before we decide not to increase the fares.If we don’t come out with any increment, the drivers will still be running at a loss,” he said.

In the meantime, the government has stepped in to cushion consumers against rising petroleum prices by extending the GH¢2-per-litre reduction in the regulatory margin on diesel for the next pricing window.

The measure, which was initially introduced for two pricing windows, was expected to expire at the end of August.Earlier, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) had called on the government to cushion motorists, transport operators and businesses from the impact of rising fuel prices for at least the next two weeks.

According to Executive Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, “Government originally had indicated it was going to do that for just two window periods, which is a month. We would want to plead that at least the next two weeks be considered again. Already diesel is around GH¢17 a litre for most of the OMCs.“Allowing the GH¢2 to come back [off] would mean we will be doing GH¢19, approaching GH¢20 a litre. That situation I think the government itself is uncomfortable for”.

Currently, diesel prices are already selling at around GH¢17 per litre at most Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).Meanwhile, COPEC has hinted at an increase in fuel prices from the first pricing window in September, with petrol likely to see an increase after recording nearly a 10% rise in international market prices over the past two-week trading window.

The trend, according to COPEC’s secretary, suggests that fuel prices are likely to increase in the next pricing window.“Fuel prices are likely to inch up from the first window September. Petrol most likely, since it’s done almost 10% to close trading over the past two-week window, and decisions [are] that our prices would go up,” he added.

In a separate development, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advised the Central Bank to proceed with caution following two policy rate cuts already this year.

The IMF cited the impacts of the protracted Middle East crisis on energy and fertiliser prices, the fiscal relaxation under the Policy Coordination Instrument, and persistent risks from high exchange rate pass-through.

An official of the Fund, during its latest Article IV Consultation and Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) review in Accra, gave the BoG the caution following discussions and deliberations with Ghanaian authorities.

“The Bank of Ghana should exercise caution before reducing its policy rate further, given risks from energy and fertiliser prices linked to the Middle East conflict, fiscal relaxation under the PCI, and continued exchange rate pass-through. Another reduction in the policy rate could move the BoG’s monetary policy position from neutral to accommodative, a shift that is not justified under current economic conditions,” one of the Fund’s officials warned.The IMF also warned that further rate cuts could make monetary policy too loose and put renewed pressure on inflation, risking a shift in the monetary policy stance from neutral to accommodative.

In March 2026, the BoG’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decreased its policy rate by 400 basis points to 14%, bringing cumulative cuts to 1,400 basis points since July 2025.

The MPC kept the policy rate unchanged in May 2026. With inflation projected to return to the BoG’s 8±2% target by the end of 2026 and the estimated real neutral rate around 5.0%, the ex-ante real policy rate is broadly consistent with a neutral policy stance.

Meanwhile, the IMF says the BoG is reforming its monetary policy operations.