Pressure is mounting on the government to channel a portion of proceeds from the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Recovery Levy into retooling and supporting the refinery, as plans to revive the facility gain momentum.

After years of operating far below capacity, TOR has recently shown signs of progress, but Ghana remains heavily reliant on imported refined petroleum products. Industry stakeholders argue that sustained investment is critical to ensure the refinery can operate efficiently and meet long-term market needs once fully operational.

Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers, Duncan Amoah, told Citi Business News that without adequate funding, TOR risks recurring operational challenges.

“TOR needs investment. Without the appropriate financing, we would simply be waiting for it to fail and then pointing fingers. They are currently in huge deficits and cannot finance cargoes with their books. We would expect that part of the TOR recovery levy collected over the years be applied to their operations, providing them with, say, $80 million in revolving funds to secure at least two or three cargoes and sustain operations,” Amoah stated.

He also urged policy reforms to guarantee a consistent allocation of domestically produced crude oil to TOR for local processing.

“You cannot continue producing oil and exporting it all, only to import refined products from Europe. Petroleum agreements must be strategic. Domestic crude should be prioritised for local refining to ensure TOR sustains itself,” he added.

Stakeholders emphasise that channeling levy proceeds into the refinery and securing consistent crude supplies are essential steps for strengthening Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector and reducing dependence on imports.