The Africa Centre for Policy Analysis (ACEP) has faulted the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) for deliberately allowing the importation of substandard oil from Swiss companies into Ghana.
Benjamin Boakye, Deputy Executive Director of ACEP, said such inferior fuel products imported into Ghana, particularly diesel, was highly toxic i.e. more than 2000 times worse than the standards accepted in the EU and the USA with high sulphur content.
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has estimated that by 2030, Africa would have three times as many deaths from traffic-related particle dust than Europe, Japan and the US combined.
Mr Boakye stated that such toxic fuel was responsible for the numerous respiratory illnesses and automobile malfunctioning in the country, adding that a recent World Bank report states that air pollution kills about 17,500 people annually in Ghana.
A report released on Thursday by ACEP and its partner, Public Eye, revealed that Swiss commodity trading firms were exploiting careless regulatory standards on the African continent to sell products to unsuspecting consumers in Ghana and other seven African countries.
Senyo Horsi, Chief Executive of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors added his voice to calls on ACEP for the NPA to regulate the sector and ensure that the systems work.
He explained that the law on exporting fuel allowed the foreign companies to supply Ghana with dirty fuel as they tailored their products to suit every market.
“If your regulation allows certain limits, they [suppliers] blend to suit that quality and sell on that market for you. So the results of the research show they supply something close to the 3000-ppm to Ghana and other African countries,” he noted.
Mali, for instance, he explained, are still using the 1990 regulations which allow the supply of 10,000-pmm fuel although they settle for 5000-ppm which is the worst kind of fuel anyone can have.
Meanwhile, CEO of NPA, Moses Asaga, who was expected to show remorse for the development, has rather blasted ACEP for releasing the report and described it as ‘ignorant.’
According to Mr Asaga, Ghana’s standard of 3000 parts per million (ppm) fell within the regional margin quoted by countries like Nigeria and Ivory Coast.
He indicated that a significant reduction in the sulphur content would cost Ghana about $300 million to re-configure the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
Speaking to Citi Fm recently on the issue, he stated: “Our refinery in Ghana has been producing 1000 parts per million, as such if we want to decrease to 50 parts per million that will imply the whole refinery will have to be re-configurated which may need a capital cost of between $200 and $300 million.”
General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers’ Union (GTPCWU), has expressed similar concerns by ACEP that the NPA and the Ghana Standards Authority must intensify efforts to protect the lives of Ghanaians.
By Samuel Boadi