Price floors for petrol and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) have fallen for the second pricing window of August, with diesel recording a marginal increase.

This is according to the latest figures from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), seen by classfmonline.com.

The petrol price floor has fallen by GH¢0.61 per litre. This is a drop of 4.2%. It moved from GH¢14.53 in the first August window to GH¢13.92 per litre.

For LPG, the price floor has dropped by GH¢0.08 per kilogram. This is a decrease of about 0.7%. It moved from GH¢11.06 to GH¢10.98 per kilogram.

The diesel price floor has increased by GH¢0.22 per litre. This is a rise of 1.5%. It moved from GH¢14.97 to GH¢15.19 per litre.

These changes could put downward pressure on petrol and LPG prices at the pumps.

However, actual retail prices will still depend on the margins and other charges applied by individual petroleum companies.

Price floors are the minimum thresholds below which Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and LPG Marketing Companies (LPGMCs) are expected not to sell products during a pricing window.

Under the Petroleum Product Pricing Guidelines (PPPG), these floors exclude certain costs. They exclude premiums charged by International Oil Trading Companies (IOTCs). They also exclude operating margins of Bulk Import, Distribution and Export Companies (BIDECs). Marketers' and dealers' margins are also excluded, as these are determined separately by the companies.

The latest changes follow a government intervention in the previous pricing window. That intervention was meant to cushion consumers against a sharp increase in diesel prices.

Government reduced the regulatory margin on diesel by GH¢2 per litre for one month. This prompted the NPA to cut the diesel price floor from GH¢16.97 to GH¢14.97 per litre in the first August window.

The marginal increase to GH¢15.19 in the second window could keep fuel-related operating and transport costs elevated. This is particularly true for commercial vehicles, generators, and businesses that rely heavily on diesel.

The lower petrol price floor, meanwhile, could provide some relief to motorists. However, the extent of any reduction at the pump will depend on how individual OMCs price their products.