Ghana loses billions of cedis to fuel smuggling
NPA confident of eradicating fuel smuggling in Ghana
Digital Retail Fuel Monitoring System by the government to monitor fuel transportation
The National Petroleum Authority, NPA, has stated that it has introduced a comprehensive approach to make sure offenders or persons involved in the smuggling of fuel are prosecuted and dealt with appropriately.
The NPA also said this had led to the introduction of the Digital Retail Fuel Monitoring System, among other interventions, to address the canker.
According to reports, Ghana currently loses billions of cedis to fuel smuggling and other illegal activities regarding the transportation and effective distribution of petroleum products across the country.
Head of Pricing at the National Petroleum Authority, Abass Ibrahim Tasunti, according to a Citinewsroom.com report, has stated that he is confident that measures being put in place by the authority will yield its intended results and ensure petroleum products are safely distributed in the country in this year and beyond.
“You are aware that there are several mechanisms the National Petroleum Authority has put in place to address smuggling of petroleum products. One key one is that we track every Bulk Road Vehicle in this country, and we have a live monitoring electronic cargo tracking system where every track is monitored.
“Also, we mark petroleum products that are loaded from every depot, so that if for example petroleum products that are exported are not marked, and they find their way into filling stations here in Ghana, then the marker concentration in this product will be able to tell that the product meant for export has been adulterated or brought or dumped into stations here in Ghana,” Citinewsroom.com quoted him.
He also mentioned that the authority is keen on strictly enforcing the set rules and ensuring effectiveness.
“So, the mechanism we have are already very efficient, and so what we are going to do is to make sure we enforce them strictly, which we have already started. Smuggling, just like any crime, cannot be eliminated one hundred per cent, but we will make sure that we will strictly enforce our regulation mechanism to make sure that it is brought to the barest minimum,” he said.
The government in 2021 launched an innovative Digital Retail Fuel Monitoring System through the National Petroleum Authority.
The Fuel Monitoring System was intended to curb illegal activities in petroleum downstream such as unauthorized third-party deliveries, fake receipts, smuggling, among others. Under this system, any OMC that receives illegal fuel would be found out.
It will, however, allow fuel in OMC tanks across the country to be monitored by the NPA.
Stakeholders are, however, urging the authority to do more to eradicate fuel smuggling in the country.