A sharp decline in fuel sales in the Aflao area could throw fuel dump operators out of business, a Ghana News Agency (GNA) survey of the sales since the January price hikes has revealed.

Fuel dumps are partially developed stations, which use manual pumps and are regarded as the main suppliers of fuel in the booming cross border fuel trade.

Mr Michael Enum, an Aflao Filling Station Supervisor, told the GNA that "vehicles with foreign registration numbers now buy one or two gallons, to take them to Togo or Benin to refuel", because of the near parity of prices.

The GNA also learnt that motorcyclists from Togo have ceased buying fuel at Aflao and nearby centres.

While the major oil companies such as Mobil, Total-ELF, Shell and Glory Oil could withstand dip in business, estimated to be as high as 80 per cent, the dumps might not be able to stand the huge loss.

"We slept almost all day without making any significant sales. It's been very scanty," a dump attendant told the GNA.

Samuel Vidza, a Commercial Driver, said they preferred to do business with stations that used electronic pumps because of their reliability.

Some of the fuel dumps visited in the Ketu District are located at Dzodze, Penyi and Wudoaba, all border towns, that were notorious for harbouring fuel smuggling syndicates.