The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has launched a pilot of the 24-Hour Economy programme in the petroleum downstream sector to reduce fuel supply bottlenecks and create jobs.

The six-month pilot, launched in Accra on Tuesday, will operate across 268 fuel retail outlets, eight fuel depots and two refineries in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western and Northern Regions.

Mr Augustus Goosie Tanoh, Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, said the initiative would tackle longstanding inefficiencies that limit Ghana’s productive capacity.

He explained that the petroleum downstream sector was selected as one of the earliest pilots because fuel supply underpinned virtually every productive activity in the country, including agro-processing, manufacturing, logistics, transportation and export trade.

“When a depot closes at six in the evening and the next loading slot is at eight in the morning, that is fourteen hours in which the productive economy above it cannot expand,” he said.

The pilot programme will test whether extended operational hours can reduce fuel shortages, shorten depot-to-forecourt transit times, and improve night-time fuel availability along major economic corridors such as Accra-Kumasi and Accra-Tamale.

Mr Tanoh said the programme would be jointly supervised by a steering committee made up of officials from the NPA and the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, which will monitor economic performance, operational efficiency, labour outcomes and safety compliance until November 2026.

Mr Richard Gyan-Mensah, Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition, acknowledged that the initiative could face challenges and operational bottlenecks but assured that government was ready to address obstacles and strengthen implementation.

He commended the NPA, Tema Oil Refinery, transporters and marketers for supporting the programme.

Mr Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, said the initiative represents a bold shift in how Ghana structures productivity, enhances service delivery and unlocks economic potential in the petroleum downstream industry.

He noted that global experience showed countries operating round-the-clock economies benefited from improved logistics, reduced congestion, higher revenues and increased employment.

The pilot covers installations including bulk storage depots, refinery gantries, LPG stations, and retail fuel outlets.

Participating facilities include the Tema Oil Refinery and Sentuo Oil Refinery, as well as depots operated by BOST, APD, TTF, TFC, Vana Energy, Quantum Terminals, Ghanstock and Zen Terminals.

Mr Tameklo stressed that safety and security would remain central to implementation.

“We will continue to work closely with National Security, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana National Fire Service, and other agencies to ensure that all participating facilities operate under the highest safety standards,” he said.

He said that if successful, the programme could pave the way for similar round-the-clock operational systems in manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, ports and export-oriented industries.