COMAC and CBOD Condemn Alleged Illegal Diversion of LPG Fund; Strike Action Looms

Ghana’s downstream LPG industry is edging toward confrontation after the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies and the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors accused authorities of unlawfully diverting resources from the statutory LPG Fund to the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company. In a strongly worded joint statement, the two chambers warned that failure to reverse the allocations and restore the Fund to its legally defined purpose could trigger industrial action, escalating tensions across the LPG value chain.

Accra, February 18, 2026 — The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) and the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD) have jointly condemned what they describe as the unlawful diversion of funds from Ghana’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Fund to the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company (GCMC), warning that strike action may be imminent if the matter is not urgently addressed.

In a statement published on the CBOD website, the two industry chambers argue that the alleged diversion constitutes a clear breach of the legal framework governing the LPG Fund. Established under Legislative Instruments LI 2262 (as amended) and LI 2481, and implemented by the National Petroleum Authority on April 1, 2024, the Fund was created with specific statutory objectives. These include financing the construction and operation of LPG bottling plants nationwide and supporting the rollout of the Cylinder Recirculation Model to enhance safety and streamline distribution.

COMAC and CBOD maintain that the Fund’s mandate is explicit and does not provide room for discretionary allocations outside its defined scope. According to the statement, redirecting monies away from bottling infrastructure development, CRM implementation, and the withdrawal of unsafe cylinders from circulation undermines the very safety and access objectives the policy was designed to achieve.

The chambers further contend that such actions threaten private sector investments made in reliance on the statutory framework. They caution that uncertainty over fund utilisation could erode investor confidence, destabilise operations across the downstream LPG value chain, and potentially lead to job losses and increased costs for consumers.

In response, the two bodies are demanding the immediate cessation of any disbursements from the LPG Fund to GCMC, the reversal of any allocations already made, and the restoration of the funds to their lawful purposes. They are also calling for a public reaffirmation of the Fund’s statutory mandate and the institution of quarterly public reporting on its utilisation, supported by independent audits to ensure transparency and accountability.

The statement emphasises that these demands are rooted in legal compliance and policy integrity rather than commercial interest. It further indicates that if corrective measures are not taken, the chambers are prepared to pursue all legitimate avenues, including policy, legal, and industrial action, to defend what they describe as the integrity of the LPG Fund.

The release was jointly signed by Dr. Riverson Oppong, CEO and Industry Coordinator of COMAC, and Dr. Patrick Ofori, Chief Executive Officer of CBOD.