The Director General of the National Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Brima Baluwa Koroma, has clarified the reason for the different prices between the government and the private sector of petroleum products across the country.

Koroma made this clarification while speaking during the government’s weekly press conference at Miatta Conference Centre, Freetown.

According to Koroma, the recent reduction in pump prices is due to the government policy reforms. He stated that the government established a price ceiling while encouraging open market competition, which has left dealers to voluntarily lower their prices, adding that the NPRA has committed to staying out of pricing interference, allowing competition to flourish as intended.

He also spoke about the new NPRA Act, which he said empowers the Authority to maintain the government’s strategic fuel stock. He disclosed that due to the new legislation, the country now holds petroleum reserves that can last six to seven weeks, a record in the nation’s history. The law also mandates that licensed operators must maintain a minimum stock balance or risk losing their licenses, ensuring better preparedness and accountability in the sector.