The act of some miscreants smuggling petroleum products in Ghana to neighbouring countries through the Upper East Region, the National Petroleum says is now a thing of the past.
Bashiru Natogma, the Upper East Regional Manager of the NPA said the authority in collaboration with the security authorities had taken decisive action to address the issue of fuel smuggling in the Upper East region.
“Some years ago, we heard that in the whole Upper East, people were bringing fuel from neighbouring Togo, they exported it. Because of our effective collaboration with the security agencies, all those things are now a thing of the past”
Districts such as the Kassena-Nankana West, Bongo, Pusiga, Garu, Tempane, and Bawku municipalities were noted as hubs of petroleum smuggling because of their proximity to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Togo. But Mr. Natogma said it is not easy for cartels in the fuel smuggling business to operate because of the high alertness of the security agencies.
“We are also on the ground ensuring that the measures we put in place on the ground are not making it attractive for the PSPs [Petroleum Service Providers] to receive those products. So, both sides are not conducive for them [smugglers]. And all these things are happening under the leadership of our Chief Executive, Hon. Dr. Mustapha Hamid”
He lamented that activities of fuel smuggling in the region were not only denying the government the needed revenue, the likelihood of people smuggling contaminated fuel into the country which could damage vehicle engines and pose a risk to consumers was high.
Mr. Natogma pledged that his outfit will sustain the gains made while ensuring that individuals caught in the act are made to face the full rigours of the law. He mentioned the closure of 16 unauthorised reseller outlets which were identified during a routine inspection.
The regional manager who was speaking during a media engagement held in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region said the owners of the unauthorised reseller outlets were either selling petroleum products without documentation, or fire extinguishers or neither were they having knowledge of the source of fuel products they were selling to the public.
He stated that some of the affected owners are in talks with the NPA, and OMCs [Oil Marketing Companies] on how they can regularise their documents “but the notorious ones are not willing to do it”
To this end, he said the authority has penalties and sanctions against people engaged in illegality. The manager called on stakeholders to support the NPA’s efforts to eradicate fuel smuggling by providing information and cooperating with the necessary authorities.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
