Indigenous Oil Marketing Company (OMC) Star Oil Limited has suspended its membership of the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) with immediate effect, escalating tensions within Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Star Oil said the decision follows disagreements over the National Petroleum Authority’s (NPA) fuel price floor policy and recent social media disputes involving other Oil Marketing Companies.
The company noted that it has been a long-time COMAC member and its largest financial contributor, stressing that its dissenting position on the policy has not been adequately represented by the Chamber.
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Star Oil argued that the price floor distorts market signals, preventing international oil price and foreign exchange movements from reflecting in local pump prices.
The company believes this weakens competition and disadvantages consumers, a reasoning previously accepted in the successful push by Bulk Distribution Companies to remove their own price floor.
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“In light of the above, Star Oil believes that its continued membership of COMAC under the current circumstances exposes the company to reputational risk without offering a fair platform for its views to be represented by the Chamber.
“We therefore consider it prudent to suspend our membership until such a time that the Chamber demonstrates a clear commitment to balanced representation and fair communication of divergent member positions,” the Star Oil statement said.
In Ghana’s fuel market, a price floor is the minimum ex-pump price set by the National Petroleum Authority.
This regulation prevents Oil Marketing Companies from selling fuel below a certain threshold, and all companies are required to comply.
The policy is intended to protect smaller firms and maintain stability in the petroleum sector.
While it shields against predatory pricing, critics such as Star Oil argue it reduces competition and keeps prices higher than they might otherwise be.
MA

