Elizabeth Afoley Quaye – Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development says it tackled illegal premix oil activities in 2018 to make a total saving of GH¢36 million.
Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, said in 2018, there was no diversion of premix fuel.
According to her, diversion of premix fuel diversion had previously been a key challenge in the management of the sector, but the pragmatic steps taken by the NPP administration has brought sanity into the sector.
“The government, upon coming into office, instituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee comprising the Ministries of Energy, Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Finance, the National Petroleum Authority and the National Premix Fuel Committee (NPFC) to strategize measures to mitigate the diversion of premix fuel,” she said, adding, “the Committee outlined a number of recommendation, including the restriction of the supply of premix fuel to the Lake Area. Landing beaches in the Lake Area were reduced by 64% and restructured.”
The minister said that in 2018, a total of 72,738,000 litres of premix fuel were lifted from Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), explaining that “this represents about 20.63% less than that of 2017 (91,638,000). This was attributed to the prudent premix management practices being pursued by the current National Premix Fuel Committee.”
According to her, “The NPFS also installed tracking software at the secretariat to monitor the movement of premix fuel trucks (BRVs) loaded from TOR to its intended destination. These measures resulted in zero incidence of premix fuel diversion since November 2017.”
Landing Beach Committees across the country witnessed an improved and consistent supply of premix fuel based on actual demand with the help of the various Premix Fuel Regional Coordinating Councils inaugurated based on the recommendations of the EMT.”
She said, “Currently, there are 286 landing beaches nationwide after an initial figure of about 475. All landing beaches across the country have also been introduced to daily and monthly returns book for proper record-keeping and accountability of premix fuel sales.”
She stated that the National Premix Fuel Secretariat for the first time enforced provisions in LI 2233 Clause 27 (2), which states that “each landing beach committee shall open a bank account for the fishing community into which 53% of the proceeds of margins from the sale of premix fuel shall be paid.”
LBCs, which hitherto could not account for any amount in their accounts, presently have been able to accumulate funds in their accounts for developmental projects in their communities, she said.
The minister further said, “This is a deviation from the past where funds belonging to the communities were used for personal gains, construction of party offices and fund political party activities.”
Madam Afoley Quaye indicated that “the NPFS can proudly confirm that nationwide there is over GH¢7,000,000 accumulated across various LBC accounts in close to two years nationwide.”
She said projects such as ultramodern market square with stores, drainage systems, toilet facilities, CHIP compounds and hostels are at various stages of construction as far as the utilisation of the 53% community development fund is concerned.”
By Melvin Tarlue