The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in collaboration with security agencies has closed down and revoked the licenses of four filling stations, operating in Takoradi, for failing to meet the requirements of the Authority.
Additionally, the NPA has confiscated 73,000 litres of crude oil and 108,000 litres of diesel, respectively, from some smugglers, in separate operations, led by the Navy and Marine Police, between January and April, this year.
The Regional Director of NPA, Western and Western North, Sandra Aidoo, revealed that four filling stations (names withheld) were closed down, during NPA annual media engagement on the Authority’s operations in Takoradi, on Thursday.
“As part of our monitoring exercises, four retail outlets that did not meet our score were closed down. They are not operating as I speak because they do not meet our requirements,” she said.
Ms Aidoo told journalists the NPA would determine the status of the confiscated products after the final determination of the case in court.
For the crude oil, she said, because the smugglers bolted, NPA had transported the product to Accra and that “the public will know what happens to it.”
Ms Aidoo said activities of the smugglers were affecting the quality of fuel distributed at the pumps since some fuel station owners purchased the products at cheap prices at the blind side of the Authority.
Ms Aidoo said smuggling of petroleum products were very rampant in the Western Region and so “it is affecting our operations.”
She said “the regional office conducts annual and random inspection of various facilities under its jurisdiction to ensure that all licensed facilities are operating in line with prescribed best protocols in the industry to eliminate unnecessary risk to business, property and public safety.”
The Head, Legal Department, NPA, Farida Ali-Musah, said since the enactment of Act 691, petroleum industry had seen an evolution in breath of activities including growing private and public investment in the sector.
However, while the sector grew, regulation had become static with overarching laws inadequate to significantly keep abreast with the changing nature of industry, specifically, dealing with persons who engage in criminal activities.
A member of the Governing Board of NPA and Chairman of the Consumer Services Sub-Committee, Mr Kwami Sefa Kayi, lauded the NPA for the sensitisation drive and said that the media engagement was to inform journalists about the operations of NPA and communicate same to the public.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
