The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has been directed to grant Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) that are yet to fully satisfy all conditions for their licenses fees a reprieve.
This agreement was reached at an emergency meeting called by the Energy Ministry over an intended strike by the OMC on Wednesday.
[contextly_sidebar id=”QCRuvsbkEt1cPsQguYFBPrt0U4BcUyww”]The OMC operators of fuel stations across the country had threatened to shut down their pumps in solidarity with their colleagues who have been stopped from loading by the NPA.
Speaking to Citi News, the Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Moses Asaga assured Ghanaians that the sanctions placed on some OMCs will soon be lifted.
“We have agreed that they should be given a reprieve so that they can make good any arrears that they have at the end of January. We also agreed that any moment from now all those oil marketing companies that were sanctioned would be re-installed,” he disclosed.
According to Mr Asaga the OMCs were pleased with the move adding “the OMCs were happy at the outcome because it gives them peace enough to be able to settle their arrears.”
The OMC operators during the meeting disclosed that their failure to meet the NPA’s conditions was due to the current conditions in the industries and financial breakdowns.
Mr Asaga added that they agreed with them upon these terms.
“We agreed with them to an extent because we have been working together on a win- win situation,” he said.
He added that “the NPA is supposed to always have a dialogue with the players in the petroleum downstream market.”
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By:Patricia Conteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana