NPA warns illegal fuel dealers to cease operations or face prosecution in Bono Region

The National Petroleum Authority in the Bono Region has put unlicensed fuel operators on notice, warning that those who fail to regularise their operations risk facing prosecution as the Authority steps up enforcement across the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions.

Bono Regional Manager Joseph Kwame Gyan raised the alarm over the growing proliferation of unauthorised fuel outlets, describing the trend as a serious safety hazard with the potential to cause devastating fires and explosions in communities where such operations are concentrated.

He stressed that petroleum products are highly flammable by nature and must only be handled and sold by licensed operators who comply with the strict safety standards governing the petroleum sector. Table-top fuel sellers, he warned, expose both their customers and neighbouring residents to unacceptable levels of risk.

“The situation, if left unchecked, could result in serious disasters in the affected communities,” he cautioned.

Mr Gyan also revealed a particularly concerning practice among some unlicensed gas station operators, who allegedly import gas from Côte d’Ivoire and transfer the contents into Ghanaian cylinders — a violation of NPA regulations that he said further compromises safety standards within the sector.

He urged the public to patronise only NPA-licensed filling stations and avoid purchasing fuel from unauthorised sources, regardless of convenience or pricing.

The NPA said it would sustain its monitoring operations and work alongside security agencies to enforce the law against offenders. Unlicensed operators were given a clear warning to bring their activities into compliance with regulatory requirements or face the full consequences of the law.