The Western Region office of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in collaboration with some security agencies has closed down and revoked the licenses of four filling stations for failing to meet the requirements of the Authority.
Western Region Director of the Authority Sandra Aidoo indicated during a media engagement in Takoradi that her office has also confiscated 73,000 liters of crude oil and 108,000 liters of diesel from some smugglers in separate operations led by the Navy and Marine Police between January and April 2023.
“As part of our monitoring exercises, four retail outlets that did not meet our score were closed down,” she indicated.
“They are not operating as I speak because they do not meet our requirements. With the help of the Navy and Marine Police, we have also made two different operations from January to April this year.
“We initially confiscated 108,000 liters 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 liters of crude oil was confiscated. The smugglers bolted so the product is currently with us.”
According to her, the NPA will determine what happens to the product after the final determination of the case in court.
“We still have the products at our disposal and we shall determine what happens to it after the final determination of the case in court. 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.
She adds that the activities of the smugglers are affecting the quality of fuel distributed at the pumps since some filling station owners purchase the products at cheap prices at the blind side of the Authority.
“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 added.
The annual media engagement is to keep them abreast with the operations of the NPA.