We've put measures in place to ensure fuel stations produce quality, sell at good prices - NPA CEO

The National Petroleum Authority, Ghana has held a workshop at the GPRTU office, Kumasi to educate vehicle operators who use petrol for their vehicles.

The Deputy Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority, Mrs. Linda Asante, has said that the NPA has put things in place to make sure all Petroleum companies produce only quality products for the market

Read full articleand sell at a speculative price.

According to her, any fuel station that sells to a customer at a wrong price will be dealt with severely if they are being reported or caught in the act.

She however warned people hijacking the system by selling at wrong prices and producing inferior products unto the market, to as a matter of urgency desist from such evil acts.

She also said the authority was going to make sure fuel stations produce quality.

Mrs. Linda Asante disclosed this in an interview with this reporter after the National Petroleum Authority had held a workshop for drivers at the GPRTU office in Kumasi on Friday. The workshop which gathered drivers and other fuel users was done to educate vehicle users who use petrol for their vehicles.

Revealing further in an interview, Mrs. Asante said the work was to look over the activities of filling stations and also to supervise import and export. She said it was very urgent that consumers who purchase fuel get value for their monies.

She added that apart from doing checks on petroleum products and supervising the activities of industry players, the NPA also owed it a duty to make sure consumers are safe.

"The consumers are very precious to us and that's why we came down to enlighten them on how to identify cheats and know what to do when they visit fuel stations. We have a ten-litre can at all filling stations. So, when you suspect a cheat after buying fuel from a filling station, just ask for the ten-litre can so that they can measure your fuel for you. If they fail to do so, just call on the hotlines of any of the regional offices and do your complaint for them to intervene," she said.

She however revealed that some inspectors from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) had already been deployed to do such vigorous checks. Revealing some possible sanctions that are likely to be given to culprits, Mrs. Asante said stations found culpable can be fined or witness a total closure of their stations and the NPA was going to make sure they adjust their pumps to fit the actual prices before they may be allowed to operate again.

Commenting on price variations, she said, fuel stations that practice variations are allowed to do so, but are strictly expected to make sure they do not use dubious means to cheat their customers.

Meanwhile, some beneficiaries who participated in the exercise thanked the authorities for such a wonderful program and however called for it to continue.

They lamented over how they had been cheated by some sellers due to the lack of prior knowledge they had about the activities of the dealers.

"Now I can identify and question suppliers if I'm being cheated," A driver told this reporter.