A civil society leader has accused oil marketers of creating a fuel crisis to push up prices, urging the government to reject their proposal and maintain current rates.
Alphonso Manley, chairman of the Civil Society Organisation on Petroleum, claimed that oil marketing companies suggested an increase in fuel prices during a meeting with the Vice President’s office, although the government has not confirmed this account.
Manley called for fuel prices to be frozen, asserting that any necessary adjustments could be managed within the existing pricing structure rather than passed on to consumers. “Our message to the government is simple: freeze fuel prices,” he said on AYV Media’s Wake Up Sierra Leone programme.
He warned that any rise in pump prices would lead to higher transport costs and overall price increases across the economy. Manley also noted that some traders exploit announcements related to fuel prices to unjustifiably hike the costs of unrelated goods.
Additionally, he claimed that the National Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NPRA) has neglected its role in inspecting filling stations and testing storage tanks for fuel availability, which he suggested has led to an artificial scarcity.
However, reports indicate that the NPRA has intensified inspections of filling stations across the country, monitoring stock levels and enforcing compliance with quality and safety standards. In July 2026, the NPRA and the National Consumer Protection Commission launched a joint initiative to spot-check fuel stations following consumer complaints of short-selling.
The regulatory authority has also reported significant improvements, with fuel storage capacity nearly doubling from 124,000 metric tons to 237,000 metric tons and the national import cycle extending from 10 days to 42 days, according to NPRA Director General Brima M. Baluwa Koroma.
Fuel pricing remains a contentious issue in Sierra Leone. Since April 2026, the government has been subsidising petroleum products at approximately US$1.6 million monthly to shield consumers from international price fluctuations.
Pump prices have fluctuated frequently, with petrol reaching NLe40 per litre in September 2026 due to what the government termed supply disruptions after certain oil marketing companies limited or ceased sales.
Manley’s organisation has advised the public to rely solely on official information regarding fuel prices, urging them to ignore speculation. The government has not yet responded formally to the call for a price freeze.
