Benjamin Boakye
The Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) has blamed the cheating of oil consumers by some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in recent times on obsolete equipment and low staff strength at the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).
According to ACEP, even though the GSA has an enviable reputation in the sub-region, providing mentorship and testing of a wide range of products for other countries, such credibility was eroding over the years with obsolete equipment and weak staff strength.
“This is what has engineered the boldness of some OMCs to cheat consumers. Those OMCs know that GSA conducts bi-annual checks which in the face of the raging competition from the deregulation, exposes consumers to unethical behaviour.”
It is in this regard that ACEP has called on government to take immediate steps to resource the GSA to perform its functions of protecting consumers in line with chapter 2 (12)b of the NPP manifesto.
“The GSA should review its sanctions to make it more deterrent for OMCs to abuse set standards. This should include eventual exposure of individual service stations found to have violated service standards.
“Going forward, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) should publicly name and shame brands whose franchises breach the industry’s service codes. This will incentivize franchisors and franchisees in the OMC business to internalize the consumer risks arising from their negligent and fraudulent operations. The GSA should undertake regular inspections, preferably on a monthly basis, at the pumps rather than the six-monthly exercise. This will increase compliance with industry standards among the OMCs and improve protection for consumers.”
ACEP’s appeal follows a recent announcement by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) that some oil marketing companies (OMCs) have violated ethics and standards, and resorted to cheating consumers at the pump to confirm the fears of many consumers of petroleum products.
By Samuel Boadi