NPA rebuffs fuel shortage fears


The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has downplayed fears of another acute fuel shortage in the country within two weeks.

“We are assuring the public that there is product [fuel] in the country”, said Head of Public Affiars at the NPA Yaro Kasambata.

The country experienced an acute fuel shortage which led to the closure of some fuel station in the country a few weeks back.

The Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs) refused to release fuel into the country because it said government owed it some GH¢ 1.5 billion.

However just weeks after the situation was resolved there have been threats of another fuel shortage to hit the country after banks withdrew funding support to the distributors.

According to  Yaw Boamah, Okaikoi Central  MP, government’s inability to pay strangling debts owed the Bulk Oil Distributors has left them exposed and incapable of buying fuel for distribution.

Speaking to Joy News’ Parliamentary Correspondent Elton John Brobbey, the MP claimed to have intercepted a letter from the Bulk Oil Distributors addressed to the Finance Minister and to President John Mahama, lamenting the state of indebtedness owed the distributors.

Between 2011-2013 a total of $1.325 billion was incurred as a result of government’s failure to pay fuel subsidies, Brobbey quoted the letter as saying.

For the first half of the year an amount of $300 million with an additional ¢84 million is said to be owed in subsidies to the Bulk Oil Distributors.

But Mr Kasambata said predictions of fuel shortage are unfortunate. He said there is enough fuel at all major depots across the country. 

“So the consumer only needs to be rest assured that there is no shortage in the country”, he reiterated. 

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