NPA takes measures to avoid fuel shortage

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has taken measures to ensure uninterrupted importation and supply of petroleum products in the country.

The measures put in place by the NPA had saved the country from experiencing fuel shortages as experienced in other countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Zambia.

Speaking at a media engagement in Cape Coast on Wednesday, the Head of Planning at NPA, Mr. Dominic Aboagye, said the interventions include management of storage depots, the laycan allocation programme and stock monitoring and reporting.

Besides, he said, the Gold for Oil programme, the Bank of Ghana forex support to Bulk Oil Distribution Companies and the granting of Special International Oil Trading License were key to preventing any risk of fuel supply disruption.

Mr. Aboagye noted that 80 percent of the country’s fuel consumption was dependent on import.

He said local production of fuel by Akwaaba Oil Refinery and the Platon Gas Oil Refinery were supporting the sector.

He said local fuel refinery would be ramped up with the expected start of operation by the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and the completion of the Sentuo refinery.

The first phase of Sentuo refinery would produce 40,000 barrels per day, which would be increased to 100,000 barrels per day.

Mr Aboagye noted that the country’s daily fuel demand was about 110,000 metric tonnes of fuel per day.

Therefore, he said that the completion of the Sentuo refinery would ensure local fuel sufficiency.

In his presentation, the Central Regional Manager of NPA, Mr. Michael Opoku-Obiri said an applicant for starting a filling station needed to have a site plan, no objection construction permit, an authorization test run, and an authorization to operate from the Authority.

He said that the NPA conducts main inspection, compliance random inspection, and monthly quality control visits to filling stations to ensure compliance with quality and safety standards.

Mr. Opoku-Obiri mentioned use of loading ramps to tilt vehicles to be filled to the brim, under-delivery at the pumps, and unavailability of water-finding paste as some of the infractions, which the office was working to correct in the region.

The media engagement organized by the Communications Department was to highlight NPA’s activities in the petroleum downstream industry and respond to industry-related questions from the media.

In a welcome address on behalf of the NPA Chief Executive, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Director of Economic Regulation and Planning, Mrs. Alpha Welbeck said the focus of this year’s education was on the security of supply of petroleum products and the requirements for siting filling stations.

A member of the NPA Governing Board and Chairman of the Consumer Services sub-committee, Mr. Kwame Sefa Kayi, commended the NPA for the media engagement and called for increased collaboration between the Authority and the media to get the public well-informed about NPA’s operations.

Source: National Petroleum Authority