Special topics
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has seized 181,000
litres of fuel from smugglers in the Western Region.
The fuel, which includes 73,000 litres of crude oil and
108,000 litres of diesel, was seized in separate operations by the Navy and
Marine Police between January and April 2023.
The NPA’s Western Regional Manager, Mrs Sandra Aidoo, made
the announcement at a media engagement in Takoradi on Thursday. She said the
seizures were a major success in the fight against fuel smuggling in the
region.
“We initially confiscated 108,000 litres of diesel on the
high seas in January. The smugglers were arrested and are currently standing
trial at the law court. The other was in April when 73,000 litres of crude oil
was confiscated,” she said.
Mrs Aidoo made mentioned that the suspected smugglers of the
diesel were being prosecuted in court and indicated that the NPA would
determine what happens to the product after the final determination of the
case.
“For the crude oil, the smugglers bolted, so we have
transported the product to Accra, and the public will know what happens to it,”
she added.
Mrs Aidoo said that the smuggled fuel was often of poor
quality, and that some filling station owners were buying it at a lower price
than the regulated price. This was affecting the quality of fuel available to
consumers, as some filling stations were selling the smuggled fuel at the
regulated price.
“These cases are very rampant in the Western Region, and
it is affecting our operations. These products are not taxed, and the smugglers
sell them directly to the stations. The quality of such products cannot be
guaranteed as well, so we should not allow them into the market,” she said.
The Communications Department organized the media engagement
to bring attention to the activities of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA)
in the petroleum downstream industry and also to address industry-related
inquiries from the media.
During the event, Ms. Ali-Musah explained that the Executive
Instrument (EI) 378, acquired by the NPA in 2020, aimed to facilitate the
successful prosecution of cases in the petroleum downstream industry and combat
criminal activities in the sector.
She emphasized that engaging in any activity within the
downstream petroleum industry without a certified NPA license, manipulating the
prescribed petroleum pricing formula, tampering with Bulk Road Vehicle (BRV)
tracking and volume monitoring, providing false statements or withholding
crucial information, obstructing or interfering with investigations, and
selling unmarked fuel would be subject to prosecution.
Mr. Dominic Aboagye, the Head of Planning at NPA, provided
additional insights, revealing that 80% of the country’s fuel consumption
relied on imports, while the remaining 20% was locally produced. Both the
government and private sector were actively working to enhance local fuel
production, including the construction of a refinery by a private entity, he
added.
Mr. Kwami Sefa Kayi, a member of the NPA’s Governing Board
and Chairman of the Consumer Services sub-committee, commended the NPA for
their efforts in raising awareness and emphasized that the media engagement
aimed to provide journalists with comprehensive knowledge about NPA’s
operations, which could then be effectively communicated to the public
