Togbi Sri III, the Awoamefia of Anlo has appealed to the Board and Management of National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to make premix fuel available to fishers along the coast.
He said the highly subsidised blend of fuel made for use by fishermen as government’s intervention in the fisheries sector had become a scarce commodity thus, affecting their productivity and by extension, worsening their living standards and that of their dependents.
Torgbui Sri III made the appeal when Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Chief Executive Officer of NPA, and NPA Board members visited him at his residence at Woe in the Anloga District.
The Awoamefia who spoke through his Spokesperson, Agbotadua Kumassah, deemed the visit to him an honour saying, as regulators of the downstream sector, they represented a very important organisation in the country.
He said the current increasing rise in local prices of petroleum products in the country due partly to the COVID-19 effect and the Russia-Ukraine crisis, put a huge task on the Board which they must work hard at to ensure availability of petroleum products at prices that would make economic sense to Ghanaians.
Dr Abdul-Hamid, the CEO explained the delegation’s visit was purposely to meet with the Awoamefia and his retinue of chiefs to solicit their wisdom and support in their administration to benefit not just the consumers of the products but also players in the sector.
He said the Authority was aware of the current economic difficulties in the country and so, had secured a deal with the Bank of Ghana to give bulk distributing companies’ stable dollar rates hinting, prices of petroleum products might see a reduction in the coming days.
The NPA CEO allayed fears of petroleum product shortages assuring that in the next three months, there would be stable supply of the products in the country.
He said, also on the agenda of the Authority were plans to reduce revenue leakages, gas cylinder recirculation and sanitising the industry to make it more efficient, for which there was the need for the support of all, especially the traditional authority.
Togbi Samlafo IV, Paramount Chief of Atsiame and dealer in petroleum products, commended the efforts of NPA in striking a deal with the Central Bank with hopes that it would guarantee product availability, the right quality and price and a profitable petroleum sector.
He assured of the Anlo Council of Chiefs’ readiness to assist the Authority in plugging loopholes and in other ways possible for the overall benefit of the people of Ghana.
Ashantibiz
