Officials from NPA with some of the participant
The Western Regional office of the NPA has embarked on an anti-smuggling operation which has resulted in a total of 181,000 litres of the smuggled products being confiscated.
The confiscated products included 108,000 litres of diesel and 73,000 liters of crude oil. The separate operations were in collaboration with the Ghana Navy and Marine Police.
The Western Regional Manager of the NPA, Sandra Aidoo disclosed this in an interview after NPA’s media engagement in Takoradi.
She pointed out that fuel smuggling cases are rampant in the Western Region which is affecting the NPA’s operations.
“These products are not taxed and the smugglers sell them directly to the stations. The quality of such products cannot be guaranteed as well so we should not allow them into the market,” she added.
She explained that initially the Authority confiscated 108,000 liters of diesel on the high seas in January adding, “the smugglers were arrested and are currently standing trial at the law court”.
According to her, the NPA would determine what happens to the product after the final determination of the case in court.
“We still have the products at our disposal and we shall determine what happens to it after the final determination of the case in court.
“The other confiscation of 73,000 liters of crude oil was done in April this year. The smugglers escaped and the product was sent to Accra and the public will know what happens to it,” she added.
She said the Authority has also closed down four fuel retail outlets or filling stations in the region and their licenses revoked for failing to meet the requirements of the NPA
“Those outlets are not operating as I speak because they do not meet our requirements”, she added.
She advised the public to desist from buying what she termed ‘table top fuel’ because the quality of the fuel could not be guaranteed.
She mentioned that the Regional Office would continue to collaborate with the security agencies to clamp down on “Table Top” operators of petroleum products in the Western and Western North Regions.
“We will also ensure that all licensed facilities are operating in line with prescribed best practices in the industry to eliminate unnecessary risk to businesses, property and public safety”, she added.
Dominic Aboagye, Head of Planning at NPA indicated that most landlocked countries in the West African sub region preferred petroleum products from Ghana because the country’s products are of high quality.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi