Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is on course to eradicate the incidents of fuel adulteration in the country, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the authority has assured.
He said as a result of stringent measures instituted by the NPA, the retail outlet failure rate with regards to contaminated fuel has reduced drastically from 32 percent in 2013 to 2.5 percent as of August 2021.
Based on the progress made so far, Dr. Abdul-Hamid reiterated the resolve of his outfit to eradicate the disturbing menace saying, “We are poised to wipe out these 2.51% culprits still cheating petroleum consumers.”
Mr. Abdul-Hamid made the commitment in Ho during the climax of the 2021 NPA Consumer Week Celebration hosted in the Volta Region.
The week-long commemoration on the theme, “Adulterated Fuels, A Menace To The Consumer And The Economy” was aimed at sensitizing the public and consumers of petroleum products on their rights and responsibilities and how best to assist the regulator to serve them better.
Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa
He said some of the measures put in place to deal with the fuel adulteration include, “the revision of operating procedures in the importation, exportation, and production of fuels by petroleum service providers (PSPs) and the introduction of Petroleum Product Marking Scheme (PPMS) and Bulk Road Vehicle (BRV) tracking system. This ensures that products are devoid of adulteration and meet the required specification along the supply chain.”
In addition, a standby intelligence and security team has been set up to respond swiftly to consumer complaints regarding fuel adulteration and other unscrupulous conduct on the part of service providers.
Dr. Abdul-Hamid thus entreated Consumers to give prompt alerts to the regulator through its customer complaint platforms – via phone calls (0545006111/0545006112) or through their website (www.npa.gov.gh) within 48-hours upon encountering such incidences, for the necessary sanctions to be taken against the culprits.
Culprits of these fuel quality crimes will be made to face the law for punitive sanctions such as fines, imprisonment, or both.
Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, CEO, Association of Oil Marketing Companies
The Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, in a speech read on his behalf, said fuel contamination does not only affect the quality of petroleum products but also poses danger to vehicle engines and machinery as well as the environment while depriving consumers of value for money.
It also affects the national economy, he added. “In no doubt, the effects of contaminated fuels deprive the government of needed revenue to empower its people, promote good health, and you the consumer seated here is cheated. You do not get value for the money you spent on contaminated fuel.” He observed.
Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, CEO of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC) stressed the association’s support for the regulator in eradicating fuel contamination.
He advised consumers to desist from buying cheaply priced fuel from tabletop dealers, as their quality cannot be assured.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa asserted that the health and environmental implications of adulterated fuels cannot be underestimated. Hence, it was gratifying that the NPA undertook this year’s campaign in the region.
He used the forum to invite Ghanaians to the region’s fifth Trade and Investment Fair (Volta Fair-2021), scheduled for November 15 to 28, 2021 in Ho.
The NPA 2021 Consumer Week durbar, chaired by Togbe Gbogbi Atsa, Paramount chief of Adaklu, was graced by musician, Wendy Shay who entertained patrons with her songs.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service also educated the public on the safest way to put out domestic fires. Earlier in the week, there was house to house, filling station, and radio sensitization in the region.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)