The Minister Energy and Petroleum, Emmanuel Armah Kofi\u00a0Buah, has directed the Tema Oil refinery (TOR), to revert to its core mandate of refining crude oil to meet current demands.<\/p>\n
TOR, a state owned oil refinery has over the years been saddled with debts, and operational inefficiencies leading to low production capacity.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the inauguration of its new board, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Emmanuel Armah Kofi\u00a0Buah directed members to get the defunct refinery back on track.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must get Tema Oil refinery to work and that is your job. Let me state this clearly, the job of Tema Oil refinery is to refine crude. It is not to operate a crude procurement facility. If you look at the history, TOR was focused on processing crude for the state and the country\u2019s product requirement was met by TOR. Mainly from 80 percent, it came down and down until it went to zero.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSee what happened in the last few weeks. It is very clear that the state oil refinery must take the leading role in making sure that it supplies products. That is the objective.\u201d<\/p>\n
There have been reports of a possible sale of the refinery following its poor performance.<\/p>\n
But Armah Kofi Buah dismisses the reports, he adds that the Tema Oil refinery will not be sold under the presidency of John Mahama.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we speak, we have gone back to the original strategy. You have just a marketing partnership with PetroSaudi and has nothing to do with our refinery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Let me make this clear\u201d, he stressed \u201cTema Oil Refinery is not for sale and it will never be for sale under the watch of President Mahama.\u201d<\/p>\n
By: \u00a0Anim Kwaku Boadu\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n