Abstract:
This study sought to examine the impact of COVID-19 on Oil Marketing
Companies in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, Ghana.
The study employed the mixed method approach as the main research
approach, and the sequential explanatory design as the main research design.
Through quantitative and qualitative data, the study demonstrated that indeed
COVID-19 had several effects on oil retail outlets in the municipality. The
study established that COVID-19 negatively impacted oil marketing outlets,
affecting customer inflow, overall sales, operations, workers, interpersonal
contact, financial flow among others, and positively improved sanitary
conditions, personal hygiene and reduced congestion at heavily packed fuel
stations. Also, measures put in place to sustain OMCs in the face of COVID-
19 were purely self-help and not government intervention in the Ga west
Municipality.
It was recommended that the government of Ghana should offer some form of
support to the OMCs in case any pandemic of this nature pops up in the near
future. This will help release the burden of patronizing PPEs and other
materials by the OMCs. Also, Staff members are encouraged to perform hand
hygiene frequently, follow respiratory etiquette recommendations and
regularly clean and disinfect surfaces at the work area, mainly office and
forecourts. The study further recommended that there should be extension of
the period of tax payment by Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in case any
pandemic of this nature pops up in the future to help relieve some financial
burden from the OMCs.
