The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has engaged fuel transporters and key industry stakeholders in a high-level meeting to discuss the rollout of the Driver and Mate Remuneration Framework in Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.
The meeting, held under the auspices of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at the NPA Conference Room in Accra, provided a platform to present preliminary data, address stakeholder concerns, and agree on measures to improve compliance. The framework seeks to standardize remuneration, promote fairness, and enhance welfare conditions for drivers and mates.
Opening the session, Deputy Chief Executive Dr. Sheila Addo and Director of the UPPF Directorate, Mr. Ernest Ayeh-Datey, underscored the importance of collaboration in ensuring a successful rollout. Dr. Addo emphasized that the engagement was aimed at reviewing collected data and incorporating stakeholder input to strengthen implementation.
A presentation by the UPPF Directorate revealed that out of 958 registered transporters, only 119 had submitted data, representing a 12.4% compliance rate. The data captured covered 2,909 drivers and mates, significantly below the estimated workforce of 13,500. Key challenges identified included incomplete submissions, missing records, and inconsistencies.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive of the NPA, Godwin Kudzo Edudzi Tamakloe Esq., acknowledged the progress made but called for increased cooperation among stakeholders to ensure fair and consistent remuneration. He reiterated that enforcement would be a last resort, with priority placed on engagement and compliance.
An interactive panel session allowed stakeholders to raise concerns and propose solutions. Discussions focused on improving participation, refining submission timelines, and exploring effective enforcement mechanisms. While some participants suggested leveraging Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and unions for data collection, others emphasized direct engagement with transporters as the most reliable approach.
The meeting concluded with an agreement on a three-week deadline for final data submissions, after which enforcement measures may be applied to address continued non-compliance. Follow-up engagements will be held to resolve outstanding issues and advance the framework’s implementation.
The UPPF reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a transparent, accountable, and sustainable remuneration system for drivers and mates within the petroleum transportation sector.
