Opportunities and Challenges for Petroleum and LPG Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa

Petroleum products are the lifeblood of the economies of all Sub-Saharan African countries. They are key fuels used in road transport and power generation. Households use kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for lighting and cooking. In this era of high oil prices, if the product is state-subsidized, the government budget bears the brunt of price increases. If the price changes are passed through to consumers, the household budgets are impacted directly. The countries most vulnerable to oil price shocks are the low-income oil importers which are disproportionately concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa. End user prices are affected by several factors: market size and economies of scale, mode of product transport, controlled pricing, protection of inefficient domestic suppliers, degree of competition, clear and stable legal framework, effective monitoring and disclosure of industry statistics. This paper is based on two recent studies of the oil sectors of several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa which posed the following questions: Is each stage in the supply chain, from import of crude oil or refined products to retail, efficiently run and are the efficiency gains passed on to end-users? If not, what are the potential causes and possible means of remedying the problems?