According to them, the move will curb the diversion of the product in the country and ensure transparency in the sector.

[contextly_sidebar id=”fHuesJ4BcCEZ2DcIeT8jBP8LQDLjPwPm”]Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, Coordinator of the Premix OMCs, Kwaku Agyeman Duah, insisted that they need the “weekly audits,” to help “stop the diversions.”

“There is a weekly audit. With the pre-mix, the orders are issued every week to the Landing beach committees with the OMCs transporting it. What we are asking for is for transparency sake so that somebody would not say he didn’t get it or someone will say that it was diverted. Let’s put it [weekly audits] out there so that everybody knows,” he added.

Over 200 premix diversions recorded since January 2017

At least 200 cases of premix fuel diversions have been cited by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) since January 2017.

In all instances, products documented to be bound for outside the Greater Accra Region, ended up within the region, according to information obtained by the NPA’s BRV Tracking System and Returns.

Some OMCs have borne the brunt of the criticism in the wake of the scandal.

According to Mr. Duah, not all the 14 OMCs cited for the diversions are part of the association of premix distributing OMCs.

Suspend OMCs, dissolve Committees

The Akufo-Addo government has been advised to immediately suspend its contract with the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in charge of transporting premix fuel to the various landing beaches across the country.

The Co-convener of the Civil Society Alliance on Fisheries, Richster Nii Amarfio, who made the call, said the state oil company, GOIL, could be directed to take charge of distributing the product, while government puts measures in place to investigate the current scandal in the sector, which has come about as a result of diversion of premix fuel.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifimonline.com
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Publish weekly audit report – Premix distributors to NPA appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, made this claim on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, on the back of the National Petroleum Authority’s revelation of massive premix fuel diversions nationwide.

According to him, the premix fuel which is specifically to be used by fisher-folk, are not only diverted and sold to industries, but are also sold by some fuel stations who mix them with petrol and sell to unsuspecting motorists.

[contextly_sidebar id=”8SCEChwondQUBaikPYrpo4eXXY6Nely0″]“These trucks did not find their way into outer space; they have been sold to Ghanaian consumers, unfortunately. What I gathered from behind the scenes is that, most of the activities are carried out on Friday especially when they know NPA inspectors have also gone for their weekends. They would dip about 4,500 of the pre-mix into the actual premium product; it dissolves and it is sold to the unsuspecting consumers. This is ongoing and affecting the engines of vehicles across the country,” he lamented.

Citi News has sighted several letters from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to the National Premix Committee in eight months, revealing how the product meant for fisher-folk never reached their intended destinations.

But the NPA has not taken any drastic action in stopping such actions, and has instead been writing letters to the Premix committee and the stakeholders involved.

Over 200 diversions have so far been recorded by the NPA since January 2017 to October.

It has been estimated that the country lost over GHc7 million in subsidies as a result of these diversions.

COPEC lambasts NPA over premix diversions

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on the development, Mr. Amoah lambasted the NPA for sitting aloof while the impunity continues.

He also charged the NPA to go beyond the writing of letters and deal with the perpetrators, saying the Authority has advance information on how and where the products were diverted.

“If you go through the tracking used by the NPA, at every minute of tracking, you can tell where the track loaded from, where it moved to and where the product ended.  If the NPA would be very sincere to Ghanaians, these 200 trucks are not missing, they know where they went. If the NPA would be candid with all the 200 diversions, they will be able to find where they went to just like it did with the BOST issue.”

The Executive Secretary of COPEC also called on the NPA to punish those involved in the diversions, adding that “no amount of time will be enough for investigation if they [NPA] cannot tell us where the 200 trucks have vanished to.”

Review pre-mix fuel distribution arrangement

COPEC in an earlier statement called for a review of the distribution arrangement of the product, which it said has become “a lucrative business for those in the supply chain.”

“It is our belief that the whole premix arrangement need a complete review and a complete overhauling. The current system in practice is simply prone for such corrupt diversions and re-trading as the difference in real market price and how much we subsidize for, makes for a lucrative business for those in the supply chain,” the statement added.

Below is the full statement from COPEC:

CHAMBER OF PETROLEUM CONSUMERS-GHANA

PRE-MIX DIVERSION
HALT THE TALK AND PUNISH THE CROOKS DAMAGING OUR ENGINES

The news of the diversions of over 200 trucks of pre-mix products meant for the engines of the fishermen in our fishing communities across the country is one that leaves most consumers of petroleum products in the country much more anxious about the sort of products they are being served at some pumps in the country.

Premix fuel is a subsidised product that attracts lower charges than the traditional white petroleum products of petrol and diesel, premix is a blend of pms or petrol to a portion of auto lubricants to achieve the needed viscosity for the engines of fishing boats and vessels.

The idea behind blending to achieve premix at subsidised market rates lower than pump prices of the two white products has primarily been to augment fishing activities in the country but seem no longer useful from the way the programme has been handled over the period.

A blend of 25 litres of pms or petrol and a litre of auto lubricants is often applied to achieve the needed viscosity.

This product can however be easily reblended back to pms if the right volumes of petrol is added to the subsidised premix meant for fishing.

It thus comes to us as no surprised that those who know the alternate value and use of the premix product will use every means neccesary to divert the products for higher resale value at certain fuel stations who agree to compromise.

The news of the diversions whose end point we unable to determine as of this day and time, indeed poses a danger to the engines of the unsuspecting public who buy fuel from some of the compromised outlets.

It is our belief that the whole premix arrangement need a complete review and a complete overhauling, the current system In practice is simply prone for such corrupt diversions and retrading as the difference in real market price and how much we subsidise for, makes for a lucrative business for those in the supply chain.

The issue of the whereabouts of the over 200 trucks of diverted pre-mix further leaves us wondering whether indeed there is any effective tracking system in place as has been variously suggested by authorities all this while with the very recent one being a further assurance from the sector Minister of banning of individuals from any further loading of contaminated products except for BOST using BRVs fitted with tracking devices.

One wonders why after over 3 years of introducing tracking systems in the petroleum downstream the country is still having challenges telling when and where products loaded for specific destinations eventually ended at and further enforces our long held suspicions that marked and bad products not meant for our engines still find its way to some pumps without any effective checks and tracking in place.

We call on the National Petroleum Authority to step up efforts at eliminating the excesses in this current premix arrangement that only serve as a cash cow for the handlers of the system.

We further call for an immediate audit of all the liftings done within the period in question and if possible extend beyond the current year to unearth all possible diversion conduits and punish same immediately.

Signed

Duncan Amoah
Executive Secretary
Copec Ghana

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Premix fuel being sold at filling stations – COPEC alleges appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.