{"id":600562,"date":"2019-03-20T05:14:11","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T05:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"
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The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is in the process of beginning the regulation of bitumen which is especially used in the road construction sector in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

The move is to ensure that services that use bitumen receive the required standard materials.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mr Hassan Tampuli, Chief Executive Officer of NPA made this known when he presented the Brookfield Viscometer to the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) at a brief event in Accra on Monday.<\/span><\/p>\n

The equipment, which was in fulfilment of a request to enhance the enforcement of bitumen regulation, will reduce the testing time of bitumen samples from the Western Region and <\/span>to<\/span><\/span> ensure that a substandard product is not allowed into the market.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Alhassan<\/p>\n

Mr Tampuli said that the move would also streamline the operations of Bitumen Marketers and enable the NPA to\u00a0<\/span>commence<\/span><\/span> the process of regulating bitumen consumption.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith this addition to the two already in Accra laboratory, the Takoradi laboratory need not<\/span>\u00a0come to Accra to conduct the standard test\u2026 we are certain that only quality bitumen product will be imported into the country,\u201d he stated.<\/span><\/p>\n

The CEO of NPA said the licensing framework for regulation of bitumen imported into the country had been developed and was currently being reviewed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Receiving the equipment, Mr Ernest K Arthur, Chief Executive Officer of GHA, thanked the NPA for assisting his outfit with the equipment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope that this kind gesture will bring a closer collaboration between the two established regulatory institutions to ensure that the quality of bitumen that <\/span>are<\/span> imported into the country conforms to the Ministry of Highways specifications so that we have durable roads across the <\/span>country,<\/span><\/span>\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

He recalled that in April 2017, the NPA committee set up to streamline the operations of Bitumen Marketers in the country and identified the\u00a0<\/span>quality<\/span><\/span> of bitumen delays in the result as some of the challenges in the sector.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Also present at the ceremony were Dr Francis Acheampong, Board Chairman of GHA and Chairman of the Bitumen Committee, Nana Akwanuasa of Societe Multinationale de Bitumes<\/span><\/p>\n

Background<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0In the year 2014, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) conducted a study to ascertain supply chain practices along the bitumen supply chain.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This was to enable the NPA to\u00a0<\/span>obtain<\/span> enough data on the\u00a0<\/span>bitumen<\/span> industry to effectively provide policy regulation to enhance the\u00a0<\/span>efficiency<\/span><\/span> of the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

Subsequently, a stakeholder meeting of bitumen importers was held to discuss ways of improving the bitumen supply chain.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Committee was constituted to undertake a comprehensive review of the bitumen supply chain to ensure that it conforms to best practices, and in line with the petroleum downstream supply chain.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Committee members included representatives from Total Ghana, Vivo energy, Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Platinum seal, Societe Multinationale de Bitumes (SMB), Gbewaa Petrochemicals and NPA.<\/span><\/p>\n

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