By Omotayo Edubi
The Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has applauded the security agencies and other stakeholders operating at the Ports for their effective supervision in combating illegal bunkering and smuggling of petroleum products.
Abdul-Hamid said this during a press briefing in Takoradi on Friday as part of his familiarization tour of the Western Region.
He said the NPA would continue to engage and collaborate with the Police, Navy and Marine Police to come up with pragmatic measures and solutions to nib the menace in the bud.
Abdul-Hamid pointed out that the activities of Bunkers and smugglers were sabotage to the economy as they did not pay taxes and it was very difficult to determine the quality of Petroleum products smuggled into the country.
He said everything would be done to stem the unhealthy practice in the country, as security agencies had shown a great commitment to the situation and had over the years made some arrests and prosecuted the culprits.
He pointed out that the Authority was established by an Act of Parliament (NPA Act 2005,Act 691) to regulate the Petroleum downstream industry in Ghana.
He said as a regulator the Authority ensured that the industry remained efficient, profitable, fair and at the same time ensured that consumers received value for money.
Touching on petroleum taxes, Abdul-Hamid said the government collected only GHC1. 90 as taxes on a litre of fuel, noting that the amount was insignificant to the individual consumer given the current frequent rising cost of fuel in the international market.
He however, noted that abolishing such taxes amid the current challenges would be a loss to the government, “removing those taxes would amount to a loss of more than GHC 4 billion of government’s revenue.”
He said NPA would continue to play its regulatory role effectively and ensure that price margins were reduced and called on Ghanaians to sacrifice in these trying times to help lift the economy.
The tour, which is the last of his regional tours, took him to the Atuabo Gas Plant, Some Petroleum depots, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Sekondi Naval Base, the commands of the Police and Marine Police as well as a courtesy call on the Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah.
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