The Head of Economic Regulation at the National Petroleum Authority, NPA, Abass Ibrahim Tasunti says there is enough Premix fuel for fishermen in the country.
According to him the shortages experienced in some fishing communities are a result of illegal practices at the landing beaches.
He believes the automation of the premix fuel outlets across the country will help fix the challenge.
Meanwhile, the NPA has cautioned fishers to desist from producing their premix fuel which he says could cause damage to their engines.
Mr. Abass Ibrahim Tasunti said this in Koforidua during media engagement when responding to reports that many fishers have parked their canoes at Akateng in Upper Manya Krobo in the Eastern region while others have resorted to buying petrol and mixing it with engine oil to power their canoes for fishing in other to survive the long shortage of premix fuel.
“With regards to availability, we have enough quantity to meet everyone’s demand. There is but it looks like at the landing beaches there are some practices there that are causing these challenges and that is why the ministry is introducing the automation, and when this automation is done the goal is that the fishermen will not rely on certain individuals at the landing beaches to get the products, they will all be registered to have cards, so they will be able to go to this automated system and buy the fuel themselves so that we will avert the situation where some people get the products and hold them and then the fishermen are not getting the products. So the shortages here are not because we don’t have the products in the country but it is because of some irregularities at the landing beaches and we think that the automation of this system will indeed help to address these challenges” he explained.
The NPA has meanwhile said, it has made gains in reducing fuel adulteration and dilution in the fuel supply chain to an average of 2.91% from 6.20% recorded in 2016 and continues to deploy measures including fuel marking and quality verification to nip the menace in the bud.
The Authority is however urging consumers to swiftly report suspected cases of adulteration and dilution to enable it to impose severe sanctions on outlets found culpable to deter others.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
